


A Thousand Years

by lollypop21



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Crossover, F/F, F/M, First Dates, Fluff and Angst, Hogwarts AU, M/M, Teen Romance, Umvie-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2020-08-23 19:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 79,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20202121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lollypop21/pseuds/lollypop21
Summary: It's another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with everything that it usually brings. Wands, potions and spells, friendships and teenage romances, competitions and rivalries. But to add a little punch this year, a huge event is coming up, and everyone is attending.-In which a fifth-year Slytherin turquoise haired girl and a sixth-year Ravenclaw brunette who shouldn't be hanging out together can't deny their feelings for each other.





	1. All aboard!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is an original work of fiction using characters from the Harry Potter and Descendants universes, which are the properties of J.K. Rowling and Disney. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story.
> 
> The story is set in an alternative timeline, sometime between Voldemort's original downfall and Harry Potter's first year in Hogwarts. Though, older students from the original HP universe are not mentioned.
> 
> I'm not a writer. I write for fun, and this story came out of nowhere as I was watching Harry Potter one day, so bear with me you guys. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. English isn't my first language so excuse any incoherences or grammatical mistakes. I appreciate feedback, help me get better. 
> 
> Thank you!! :)

In northwestern London lay King’s Cross railway station. Perfectly ordinary, one may say, undeniably one of the busiest in the city. Today was no exception, though maybe a little busier than usual, as strange groups of people carrying enormous trunks, weird shaped packages and caged owls – among others – made their way towards, and then through, the solid barrier between platforms Nine and Ten. There they would reach platform Nine and Three-Quarters which, like every other September the first, was awash with activity.

It was 10:47am, and the Hogwarts Express was about to leave.  
  
The bright scarlet engine of the train billowed out thick clouds of steam over the crowd of wizards and witches, students and parents, giving them all a ghostly aspect as the echo of their voices generated a consistent humming sound throughout the platform.

Somewhere in the middle of this commotion, a brown skinned fifteen-year-old witch with waist-length aqua blue braids was bidding her mother goodbye.

“Okay listen up now young lady. I don’t care what kind of trouble you decide to get yourself into this year, but at least don’t be stupid enough to get caught. Understood?” the woman said sternly, standing tall as she looked down at her teenage daughter.  
  
“Yes, Mom,” the girl, who was nonchalantly leaning against her luggage cart, replied with a slight roll of her eyes.  
  
“I am serious, Uma!” her mother continued, now crossing her arms over her prominent chest. “You got this close to get expelled last year. Do it again, and you come straight back home to work with me at the restaurant, non-negotiable.”  
  
“I hear you.” Uma looked the older witch in the eyes, crossing her arms as well. “You won’t get a letter.”

She somehow meant that. There was no way she’d work permanently as a waitress in her mother’s restaurant. _It’s already a pain in the ass as a summer job_, she thought.

“Good. You better go then, if you want to find a seat.”  
  
“Yeah, okay. Thanks for dropping me.”  
  
“Ah, shut it. So I’ll see you in June.”  
  
“See you in June. Bye Mom.”

This was what a typical goodbye between the Triskelion mother and daughter looked like. No hugs, no kisses, no ‘I’ll miss you’ or ‘Promise to write every week’. No display of affection of any form whatsoever. It was just not how Ursula worked, she had other ways to show that she cared. And young Uma grew up to roll with it. She would gladly settle for some rough words of advice, an occasional tap on her shoulder, an even rarer squeeze on her upper arm – she hasn’t gotten one since the day she took the Hogwarts Express for the very first time – or, like today, a nod of her mother’s head.

The woman turned on her heel and walked away, though not without earning a fair amount of side looks as she went. She paid them no mind. Ursula and Uma were now used to those. The side looks, the hushed whispers wherever they went. To the smiles disappearing, and the women holding onto their children tighter, whenever they were recognized. To the dark legacy carried, through no fault of their own, by their last name.

Morgana Triskelion. A fervent Death-Eater who was a part of Lord Voldemort’s closest followers before his fall. A woman who, under the obscure name of the ‘Death Siren’, murdered a tremendous amount of Muggle-born and ‘blood-traitor’ wizards, with a specific _modus operandi_ that made her crimes easily recognizable: the bodies of the victims would be found tied up to their beds, shirtless with an X craved on their chests, and would appear as drowned even though there was no water in the room.

Morgana was Ursula’s little sister. Uma’s aunt.

The dark witch was securely locked up in Azkaban now, but people still looked at them because even after they did their best to shake off any association with her, they unfortunately couldn’t erase the genetics. Corpulence aside, Ursula and Morgana were pretty much twins who were born two years apart. Combine that to most people’s narrow-mindedness and get the following result: people were still afraid of them.

Uma watched as her mother’s curvy silhouette was quickly swallowed by yet another wave of families that just went through the magical barrier to access the platform. She reached inside the pocket of her black leather jacket and popped a gum into her mouth, then began to push her cart down the stony platform in search of a empty compartment. Finding a familiar face would be a huge bonus in the task.

Her wish was granted a few minutes later, as she nearly reached the end of the train. Casually hanging out the window of the carriage, a light-skinned boy with darkish hair, a sharp jawline and thick, black eyeliner circling his light blue eyes, spotted her immediately.

“May the Almighty Goddess of the Sea bless my eyes on this fine Sunday. And by Davy Jones, look at that hair! That color looks marvelous on you darling.”

Uma scoffed at the boy. That was so Harry of Harry to say. Harry Hook, a fifth-year Slytherin just like her. Her best friend since first year, and the person she was actually most eager to find. She eventually smirked up at him, putting a hand on her hip.

“I’m glad to see that spending your whole summer on a boat didn't make you any less extra.”  
  
“This is the only way I can be, my love. I’d even say the sea brings out the best of me. Or the worst.” Harry winked playfully, before leaning further out the window and he looked around. “Speaking of, is your lovely mother around? I was hoping to salute her and soak in that Triskelion magnificence for a bit. It’s good for my soul.”  
  
“You know damn well she doesn’t stay. Never has, and probably never will. So your soul will have to put up with me.” Uma popped her gum.

Harry smirked back, “I’m more than happy with that, too.”

“Yeah, bet you are.” The young witch then waved towards her heavy trunk. “So are you going to help me with that or not?”  
  
“Aye, you know your wish is my command.”

Within ten seconds Harry was off the train, about to grab ahold of Uma’s trunk, when …

“Uma! Harry! Hey, guys!”

Both teens turned their heads towards the voice that had just called their names, to see two figures approaching them rapidly. The first one, a brawny guy with shoulder-length blonde hair, was pushing his cart with one arm as the other one was waving in the air. The second one, a bit smaller and thinner, had short white hair with the black roots visibly showing and a small smile on his freckled face.

“Damn,” Harry muttered to Uma in a lower voice. “Is it me or our Gilly-Gil got pumped over the summer? Holy muscles. I bet he could crush me with those biceps.”  
  
“Geez, can you just grow some balls and ask him out already?” Uma rolled her eyes playfully. “I don’t know how much more of your fantasies I can take.” Though she had to admit, Gil definitely looked like he gained some mass.  
  
“Maybe, maybe not. We’ll see. I like teasing him. He’s so cute.”

Four years ago, during the first meeting of the Hogwarts Dueling Club, eleven-year-old Harry got paired up with a certain Gil Legume from Hufflepuff to practice the Disarming Charm. But unfortunately for Harry, eleven-year-old Gil’s already very handsome face made it hard for him to stay focused, poor boy literally got knocked off his feet a few times. To say the least, Gil was rather wary when two Slytherins suddenly tried to get close to him afterwards, but in the end the three of them became basically inseparable (as much as they could be while being from two different houses) and Gil wouldn’t trade his two best friends for anything in the world. And Carlos De Vil, a younger Hufflepuff that Gil took under his wing later on, hung out with them from time to time.

Harry had the hots for Gil and flirted with him shamelessly every chance he got, only for Gil to be oblivious to it most of the time, which Harry really seemed to enjoy.

Gil was smiling wider than ever when he reached his friends.

“What’s up boys?” Uma popped her gum again.  
  
“Eh. Same old, still hard,” Carlos shrugged, and they all knew what he meant by that. Since the beginning, Carlos dreaded the first day of school because he had to say goodbye to his dog Dude, whom he was really close to. “But I dig the new hairstyle. It’s like, so you.”  
  
“Yeah, I like it too. It’s really pretty,” Gil added as he softly grabbed a couple of blue braids and let them slip through his fingers.  
  
“Erm, thanks?” Uma responded hesitantly.  
  
“Told you darling. Though she’s clearly not the only one who changed looks.” Harry smirked and traced the outline of Gil’s left bicep suggestively with his fingertips.

But as usual Gil completely missed the hint and beamed, “Ah, you noticed! Yeah, this summer I went to the gym almost every day, it’s a Muggle thing. I lifted weights.”

“Weights?” Harry repeated, puzzled.  
  
“Yeah. They have these weird equipments with heavy metal things to pull or push or lift, to make you stronger,” Gil explained.  
  
“Which can be useful for Quidditch!” Carlos pointed out excitedly.  
  
“I know! That’s what my brothers said too when they hooked me up on it.”  
  
“Or you could simply drink a Strengthening Solution for the same results,” Uma sighed and shook her head, causing Harry to glare. “What? Pulling, pushing and lifting? That sounds grueling.”  
  
“It is, a little,” Gil admitted. “But I’m not sure what you’re suggesting is even _legal_.”  
  
“So?”  
  
“Well, we kinda like to play fair,” Carlos replied, shrugging, to which Uma scoffed.  
  
“Touché,” Harry muttered.

What fun would it have been if they always had the same point of view about life situations, honestly. It was all part of the whole friendship-between-Slytherin-and-Hufflepuff thing, right? Luckily for them, they were all – slowly – becoming mature enough to step down and try to avoid drama. Most of the time. Which is what Carlos did, straight away.

“Anyway. Don’t you think we should go find a compartment before they’re all full?”  
  
“No worries, Harry saved us seats.” Uma nudged the boy with her elbow.  
  
“Ah, awesome. Thanks Harry!” Gil gave his friend’s shoulder an affectionate pat.  
  
“Of course! Anything for my sea witch and my favorite Puffies.”  
  
“Well, let’s get inside. The train will depart soon.”  
  
“Right. Help me get these in.”

The whole time Gil was busy hoisting his stuff inside, then helping Carlos with his, Harry’s eyes were fixated on his arms and neck’s muscles. He felt himself getting hot in the ears at the way they contracted under the effort. Uma’s trunk that he was supposed to get inside laid here forgotten for a few minutes as the Slytherin boy gawked at his crush.

“Oh God. Lift me. Anytime you want.”

* * *

Meanwhile, by the front carriages, another reunion was about to occur.

As she was already sitting by the window of her compartment, nose buried in a book, a young witch with fair skin and hair so black it actually looked indigo blue at a certain lighting, jumped and gasped when someone knocked against the window loudly from the outside.

“Hey there, beautiful.”

She clapped her book shut and looked at her best friend standing on the platform, a petite girl with bright green eyes, whose platinum blonde hair tips were dyed in light purple, giggling as if she hadn’t just startled her.

“For Merlin’s sake, Mal! You scared me!” she exclaimed, putting a manicured hand on her chest for emphasis.  
  
“Sorry. I couldn’t let you become antisocial before school even started,” Mal said with a shrug.  
  
“But, it’s a really good book!”  
  
“You’ll have all year to read. Now come out for a minute?”

Shaking her head, Evie pulled out a pocket mirror for a quick check and complied nonetheless. Upon arriving on the platform she gave Mal a hug. Or more accurately, Mal was hugging Evie’s torso considering she was about five-four and Evie was five-seven wearing four-inch heeled boots. And Mal pointed that exact fact out.

“Ugh. Why are you wearing these things again? I feel like a gnome.”  
  
“Well, one, because they’re awesome. And two, because for the rest of the year I won’t be able to,” Evie enumerated matter-of-factly. “And not a gnome though, more like a fairy.”  
  
“Same difference. They’re both ridiculously small.” Mal pouted. “Come on over there.”

A few meters further stood a small group of three ghostly silhouettes, a teenage boy and two women. From a distance, Evie quickly recognized the boy as Ben Beast, son of the current Minister of Magic, Mal’s oldest childhood friend and – since the previous year – boyfriend. He was a light brown haired athlete with hazel colored eyes, a gentleman behavior but a short temper when put on a Quidditch field.

He engulfed Evie in a welcoming embrace when the girls reached them. “Evie, good to see you! How are you?”

“Never better,” Evie replied as they pulled away. “It’s good to see you, too. How was your summer?”  
  
“Oh, it was amazing. Did Mal tell you we went to Greece?” he said, wrapping his arm lovingly around said girl’s shoulders and pulling her closer onto his side.  
  
“She did, actually! You two have to tell me all about it.”  
  
“Of course, we have the whole train trip!” Mal beamed, then outstretched her hand towards one of the two women in front of them. “You remember my mother?”

Evie took a good look at the tall, slender woman with impeccably styled sandy blonde hair and designer clothes. Indeed, she remembered. As a matter of fact, Maleficent Dracorys was the kind of person one could hardly forget. The Dracoryses were one of the most ancient wizarding families of Great Britain, wealthy and influential, now known for being the closest friends of the Beasts. Not Evie’s favorite person in the world, she’ll admit, but she always handled their encounters the way she’s been taught so it wouldn’t show.

Politely, and with finesse. (_And don’t forget to smile!_)

“Yes, I do. It’s lovely to see you again Mrs. Dracorys.”  
  
“Likewise, Evalyn. Did you enjoy your summer?”

Whenever she talked to Mal’s mother, the brunette was always under the weird impression that she was being tested. That any wrong answer would alter the rather low regard she had for her. She never explicitly said it, but Evie was perfectly aware that she was far from meeting Mrs. Dracorys’ expectations when it came to Mal’s circle of friends. Let alone her _best friend_. The only reason why the woman was _at least_ cordial with Evie was that she got wind of her academic success, which was a thing she valued a lot.

“I did! My mother and I spent a few weeks at my stepfather’s country house in Warwickshire, with him and his daughter. By a river, with wonderful gardens. And the library there was just fantastic, too.”  
  
“Gardens and a library, sounds like the perfect mix to me,” the other woman spoke, her voice sweet and dreamy. “Shakespeare?”

Evie blinked, slightly taken aback. People from the wizarding world usually didn’t bother with Muggle literature. Besides, how could she even know that… Never mind. She cleared her throat and answered, “_Othello_ is my favorite.”

Smiling, Ben put his hand on the woman’s shoulder, “Ah, Evie, I don’t reckon you’ve met my mother.”

In total contrast with Mrs. Dracorys, Ben’s mother was shorter by several inches. She had the same light brown hair as her son, styled into a short curly bob and held back by golden clips on each side of her head. Her expression was kind, the corner of her warm brown eyes slightly wrinkled due to the fact that she was smiling just as warmly.

Belle Beast. The Minister’s wife. With a delicate bow of her head and a charming smile that showed just enough teeth, Evie stretched out her hand to the woman.

“I believe I haven’t. Evie Grimhilde. It’s a pleasure to meet you at last, Mrs. Beast.”  
  
“The pleasure’s mine, dear.” She shook Evie’s hand gently, then frowned slightly as she seemed to study the girl’s face. “Your name somehow sounds familiar. Do your parents work at the Ministry?”  
  
“No ma’am, you must be mistaken. My parents are Muggles.”

The brunette pretended to ignore Mrs. Dracorys’ little ‘_tsss_’ as she said that. Mal once revealed that her mother was strongly biased regarding Muggles, as she believed that they suffered from a serious lack of knowledge and a low quality of life. The first time they met, she actually asked Evie how Muggle hospitals could function properly without healing magic.

“You might be thinking of Martius Gremildhen, Belle dear, from the Goblin Liaison Office?”  
  
“Yes, you’re probably right. So many people work there, after all,” Mrs. Beast chuckled sweetly, waving a hand in the air, then brought her attention back to Evie. “Are you in Ben and Mal’s year?”  
  
“No, I’m starting my sixth year.”  
  
“Oh, so that means you’ve already taken the O.W.L.s that these two are going to have to study for. How did that work out for you?”  
  
“Pretty good! I, hm, I passed them all.”  
  
“She’s being modest, Belle,” Mal said, side eyeing her best friend with a smirk. “Evie’s been top of her year since day one. Her O.W.L scores are excellent.”  
  
“I dare hope that you intend to make yours excellent as well, Mal.” Mrs. Dracorys’ tone was soft but dripping with condescension.

Implying: “_If a Muggle-born could do it, you have no excuse not to do better_”.

“Of course, Mother. You know how hard I’ve been studying.”

Mal’s voice trembled ever so slightly as she said this, enough for Evie to notice and her hands tightened around her purse. The very last thing she wanted was to be used as leverage in the already tense relationship between her best friend and her mother. Mal certainly didn’t need that.

“I’m pretty sure they’ll be just fine, Maleficent,” Mrs. Beast intervened, putting a gentle hand on the taller woman’s arm. “Anyway, it’s almost time. You kids should get going.”  
  
“Yes we probably should. Ah, and by the way, E…”

She interrupted herself to reveal the object she was pulling out of the pocket of her blazer. In her hand, a spotless badge that has a large ‘P’ across a red and gold background, as well as a gold lion. Mal was smiling wide and looked extremely proud of herself.

“Oh my God, you were made prefect! I told you it was only a matter of time. That’s amazing, congratulations! You too Ben?”  
  
“No, thank goodness. I think I’ll have enough responsibilities as captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.”  
  
“Holy mirrors. Guys that’s great! But although I’m happy for you Ben, you know my loyalty remains with my house, right?”  
  
“Of course!” Ben laughed light-heartedly. “I’m just glad I get to use the prefects’ bathroom.”

Evie laughed too and shook her head, “Silly. Well, Mrs. Dracorys, Mrs. Beast, it was nice seeing you.” She gave each woman a polite nod.

“You too, Evie. Have a good year at school.” Mrs. Beast reached out for the girl’s hand, squeezing it softly. “And when you see the Grey Lady, tell her Belle says hi.”

For the second time, Evie blinked at the woman’s guess (which, again, was right), and this time she actually voiced her surprise, “How do you know I’m in Ravenclaw?”

“Oh, dear. I can feel it. You sort of remind me of my younger self.”  
  
“Alright, then,” Evie grinned.  
  
“Well, we’re running out of time. Mal. A word.”  
  
“Yes Mother.”

Mrs. Dracorys pulled her daughter apart as Ben hugged his mother tightly, then joined Evie who had already made her way back to the train. Together they waited for Mal, exchanging an embarrassed look after seeing the girl lower her head and nod slowly to whatever her mother was saying, which from afar certainly didn’t look like affectionate last minute recommendations.

Mal’s jaw was tensed when they finally split and she unfortunately failed to make her face look utterly relaxed when she reached the train.

“Are you alright?” Evie asked the blonde worriedly.

Mal gave her a small smile that was probably meant to be reassuring, “Yeah, everything’s fine. Let’s go.”

* * *

  
As the Hogwarts Express pursued its northward journey like a bright red snake, the students inside passed the time like they always did: being teenagers.

Uma, Gil and Carlos all sat together in a compartment, laughing at something Gil had said about one of his brothers cursing the other’s broom, while waiting for Harry who had gone after the food trolley. The blue eyed boy returned a few minutes later with a pocketful of Pumpkin Pasties, Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, and in his hands he was holding a…

“Harry, why do you have a _cat_?”

Harry let out an annoyed sigh as he reclaimed his seat next to Uma, “It’s my sister’s. I found him in the hallway howling like a madman.”

The cat had a long, thick coat of black and grey fur and his eyes were an interesting mix of green, blue and copper. The pattern on his back reminded Uma of crocodile skin. Harry set him down on the couch on the other side of him, but the animal clearly had other intentions and jumped on his lap.

“Your little sister? She’s going to Hogwarts?” Carlos arched an eyebrow with interest.  
  
“Yeah, it’s her first year,” Harry groaned as he pushed the cat away from him.  
  
“That’s cool! Which house do you think she’ll be sorted into?” Gil asked.  
  
“Slytherin for sure. Da’ wants me to keep an eye on her.”  
  
“Like you’re doing right now? Do you even know where she is at the moment?” Uma teased, making the boy scowl.  
  
“In the bloody train, that’s all that matters. The lass saw her bestie at King’s Cross and got in straight away. And _get off_ you hairball!” He pushed the cat who, for the second time, tried to lay down on his lap. “Only thing I know is I won’t spend my time running after her stupid cat.”  
  
“Well, you might not need to. He seems to be quite fond of you,” Carlos said nodding towards the cat.

Indeed, the pet had given up on trying to climb on Harry’s lap and instead decided to snuggle against his thigh, curled up looking like a big, furry ball, and began to purr audibly.

“I give up,” Harry sighed as he threw his hands up in surrender.

He emptied his pockets onto the small table for everyone to share. Gil swiftly grabbed a box of Every Flavour Beans and opened it daring everyone to have it, so that’s what they did for the next fifteen minutes. Uma gave up after she ended up with disgusting flavors three times in a row, instead turning to the Chocolate Frogs, and the boys were laughing at Carlos whose face had turned crimson because of a cayenne pepper flavored bean when they were interrupted.

“I thought I smelled something _fishy_ over here.”

Uma scoffed, not even looking up from the Famous Witch card she was reading (Sacharissa Tugwood, a famous potioneer, she didn’t have this one) because she would recognize that irking, high-pitched voice anywhere.

“Dragon face. What an unpleasant and mostly _unwanted_ surprise.”  
  
“Easy, Shrimpy. You might want to start showing a little respect if you want to stay out of trouble.”

The aqua haired finally stared at her rival who was standing in the doorway of their compartment, one hand holding the door frame and the other on her hip. Surely, Mal’s smug smirk intensified when she saw Uma’s eyes flicker to the shiny badge pinned to her chest.

_You have got to be kidding me_, the Slytherin girl thought.

“Yeah, you noticed that, didn’t you. That’s right, I’ve been made prefect. And I actually stopped by to give you a fair warning.” Mal took one step inside the compartment, her piercing green eyes locked with Uma’s chocolate ones. “Behave yourself, Shrimpy. Unless, of course, you want to spend the whole year in detention. I’ll be more than _delighted_ to be the one to send you there.”  
  
“Oh really.” Uma leaned forward, her face scrunching up in an exaggerated, fake expression of distress. “_Boo hoo_, I’m so scared Mom, the big bad Mal is going to punish me!” Harry, Gil and Carlos laughed. Uma grinned as she continued, “Speaking of. Mommy must be really proud, isn’t she? I mean it’s a good way to make it up to her after last year’s little _incident._ Right?”

‘Hit ‘em where it hurts’ were words she lived by when it came to confronting Mal, because Mal herself usually wasn’t one to mince her words when she picked on her. For a split millisecond, she saw the blonde’s smirk falter just the slightest bit, and her top lip twitched, and oh, what a satisfaction. But Mal quickly regained her composure as she straightened her back.

“Well, at least she can offer me better vacations than a stinky fish shop. It must not be easy scaling your own kind on a daily basis, isn’t it?”  
  
“Try scaling some geckos and you’ll know.” Uma shrugged despite the fact that she really, really wanted to slap the sass out of Mal’s mouth right now.  
  
“How about—”  
  
“How about you get the hell out of here, now?” Harry put his two Knuts in, clearly fed up with the interaction.

The blonde looked him up and down and sneered.

“I didn’t know you were the cat type, Hook. Better be careful, they say cats eat shrimp as snacks.”  
  
“Nah this one isn’t a big fan of seafood. But he does enjoy chasing lizards and ripping their heads off just for fun.”

Mal’s lip curled, “We’ll see who’s laughing in the end.”

She stormed off without another word, slamming the door shut behind her.  
  
“Something tells me she’s not going to let you rest this year,” Carlos said. His face had retrieved its original complexion.

Uma kissed her teeth in annoyance. “Does she ever? She’s gonna be an even bigger pain in the ass now.”

“Eh, yeah. Try not to piss her off too much, will you? I kind of like seeing the Great Hall all in green at the end of the year,” Harry gently told Uma, then turned to the two Hufflepuffs in front of him. “No offense guys.”

Slytherin has been winning the House Cup for the past two years, Gryffindor the year before, and Ravenclaw in their first year, but Hufflepuff had gotten the habit of coming second by a handful of points.

“None taken,” both boys replied at the same time.

“So I’m just supposed to let her abuse her position?” Uma glared at her best friend. “Because she will. Trust me, if she could she’d take house points from us just for breathing.”  
  
“I know, and that’s not what I meant darling. We just have to find a smarter way to get back at her.”

The girl smirked at him. She just loved it when they were on the same page.

“It’s weird that you weren’t selected though,” Gil pointed out. “I genuinely thought you’d be prefect. I mean it can’t be because of what happened last year because Mal was involved too and still she is one now.”  
  
“In all honesty, Gil, I don’t know, and I really don’t care. I didn’t wanna be prefect anyway. Too much responsibilities, and you know I like to keep a low profile. Well, when I can.”  
  
“When you can indeed,” Carlos faked a cough.  
  
“What was that?” Uma raised her eyebrows at him. The boy shook his head.  
  
“Well, since it’s not you then I hope it’s Freddie,” Harry tapped his chin pensively. “She’s the only girl from our year I can tolerate. After you of course, love,” he corrected himself when Uma gave him a look.

Understand, the only ones who didn’t try to get him to drink a love potion at some point. Satisfied with his answer, Uma smiled proudly and unwrapped an other Chocolate Frog.

Conversation resumed easily among the four teenagers until, again, someone barged in their compartment unannounced an hour later. The sixth-year and top Slytherin Quidditch player Jay Barmaki walked in and plopped down on the couch next to Gil and Carlos with a flip of his long black hair. He had broad shoulders and an athletic figure, the exposed tanned skin of his arms looking smooth as he flashed his lady-killer smile at them.

“Well, hello Jay. Looking ravishing as usual,” Harry said casually.  
  
“What can I say. That’s my brand, isn’t it.”

Uma sensed by the way Jay was staring at her that his presence here wasn’t just a random act of fate. It never was, they weren’t friends. Cordial, friendly even, but not friends. For that very reason there was no need for small talk.

“What is it?”  
  
“Guess who’s the new Gryffindor prefect.”

Uma let out an annoyed groan, “Ugh, yeah. I know. She was just here an hour ago shoving it in our faces.”

“Heh. Sucks for you, doesn’t it. You’ll definitely be on her radar and she’s basically untouchable now.” Jay teased.  
  
“Wow, thanks for stating the obvious, smart ass.” Uma rolled her eyes.  
  
“Hey, don’t get mad at me, I don’t make the rules. I was actually hoping it would be you.” Jay bumped her knee with his fist, as if he didn’t notice the girl’s bitter scowl. “Imagine all the fun we’d have with the detentions. You could sing these brats into doing crazy dumb stuff.”

Uma shook her head. She still deeply thought that Jay’s prefect position was the result of a lack of more appropriate options.

And of course, he would tease her about her singing. It was one of the reasons why other students still feared her. Following the scandal that surrounded Morgana’s arrest, the Daily Prophet did some digging, so now most people knew that her and Ursula’s grandmother was Hileia, the infamous siren who ventured on land, fell in love with a wizard and pushed the limits of her human transformation to the point that she died while giving birth to their mother.

Consequently, Uma was also part-siren, and her heritage manifested itself through her simple yet cryptic beauty, her ability to communicate easily with the merpeople living in the Black Lake, and her hypnotic singing voice. She never purposely used it on someone (though sometimes she wished it could affect girls so she could get Mal to do stupid stuff), but at times she would hum random melodies when she was alone. There was just this one time in her third year, when two first-years sneaked into the girls bathroom and heard her involuntarily. Both boys ended up fainting after dancing ridiculously in their undergarments with the same foolish look on their faces. They were brought to the hospital wing and woke up a few hours later being the laugh of the whole school.

“Now see, this –” she pointed her forefinger in Jay’s direction. “– is the exact reason why I’m glad I’m not prefect. Everyone would be expecting me to do that.”  
  
“So?” the older Slytherin boy raised an eyebrow incredulously.  
  
“I don’t want to.”  
  
“You’re no fun.”  
  
“Oh you want fun? I can sing now—”  
  
“Woah, no thanks. I didn’t do anything,” Carlos interrupted the exchange while raising both of his hands.  
  
“I second that,” Gil approved.  
  
“So who are the Slytherin prefects?” Harry asked.  
  
“Freddie Facilier,” Jay stated, to which Harry muttered ‘_Thank goodness_’. “And Kells Davon.”  
  
“Ehh, not bad. Kells’s a cool dude.”  
  
“Dorothy MacGibson and Kyle Stewart for Hufflepuff,” he then told Gil and Carlos.  
  
“That’s good. Dorothy is nice. She helps me with my homework sometimes,” Gil said innocently, completely missing the way Harry frowned at that.  
  
“So, about Dracorys?” Jay brought his attention back to Uma, who had found great interest in the ends of some of her turquoise braids.  
  
“What do you think. I’ll find a way to handle her. Heck, I’ll be a Death Eater before I let this bitch step on me again.”

All the boys’ faces dropped at once. Surprised with the sudden silence, Uma lifted her head to find the four pairs of eyes staring at her in a way-too-concerned way. Were they actually believing that she… “What the—? Chill out you idiots, I have no intention of joining the Death Eaters!”

“Can never be too careful,” Jay said, putting his hands up as he stood up to leave. “Anyway. I’m going back to the guys. I’ll see you lot at school.”  
  
“See ya!” Harry chanted with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Jay’s visit left Uma in a pensive state. She could hear the boys talking, but she couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. It has just truly dawned on her that her nemesis was a prefect and to her utter annoyance, she was actually a little worried. She hated being in situations when Mal had leverage over her and that, that wasn’t just leverage. That was a freaking bombshell. That Mal was obviously going to take advantage of. Because well, if she was honest, if the roles were reversed, Uma would, too. All common sense.

As the sun began to sink, coloring the sky in hues of light orange and purple, the eagerness of finally reaching their destination made itself felt within the young passengers. Almost all of Harry, Uma, Carlos and Gil’s compartment was covered with wrinkled plastic wraps and empty candy boxes as the four teenagers, rolling on a slight sugar high, embarked on a wild throwing battle. Now they were back to a sitting position and groaning about having to put their robes on.

Until, once _again_, someone irrupted in the compartment. This time, it was a much younger girl, tanned skinned with an impressive mass of golden blonde hair that was pulled up into a high ponytail. She didn’t say a word, instead looking from left to right with an irritated look that strongly reminded Uma of someone she knew very well.

“Ah, there you are Croc!” the girl sighed in relief as her eyes landed on the sleeping cat in the corner of the couch. She grasped him and held him against her chest, ignoring the loud meow of protest at being awaken so suddenly. “You had him this whole time?” she shouted at Harry.  
  
“Yeah, you’re welcome. The bloody thing was lost in the hallway!” Harry snapped back.  
  
“Croc doesn’t get lost. No matter what he always finds his way back to me.”  
  
“Fine! Next time I’ll let him get run over by the food trolley.”

She then called him a name that one shouldn’t even know about at eleven years old. One that made Gil gasp and Carlos’ eyes widen. But growing up surrounded by sailors had had its perks. Harry, not even fazed, called her something similar and she rolled her eyes.

Two seconds later, she was staring intensely at Uma like she was just realizing she was sitting there.

“Are you Uma Triskelion?”  
  
“Eh, until proven otherwise, yes,” Uma said hesitantly, taken aback by the suddenness of the question.  
  
“Are you really a siren?” the little blonde carried on eagerly.  
  
“Get lost CJ,” Harry groaned, but she ignored him grandly, stepped forward instead.  
  
“Who told you about that?” Uma asked, though she had a slight idea what the answer to that question was.  
  
“_Him_, duh.” CJ made a face as she nodded her head towards her big brother.

The blue haired girl glanced at her best friend from the corner of her eyes and smirked at how irritated he looked at this moment. She figured she had the right to tease him some more, “Oh. So Harry talks about me at home.”

At any other moment, Harry would’ve come up with the perfect witty, theatrical reply to that statement. But the here and now Harry was too busy refraining himself from yanking his little sister by her hair and throw her out of the train, to even acknowledge it.

“Ugh, tons. He’s like obsessed with you or something. It’s actually annoying sometimes,” CJ answered, as casually as if she was talking about the weather. “So, are you?”

Uma scoffed at the way Harry’s ears turned a bright shade of red. She already liked the younger girl. “No. My great-grandmother was one.”

CJ’s whole face lit with admiration tinted with a this-just-gave-me-an-idea kind of look in her impish eyes, “Wicked.”

“Are you done? Can you go now?” Harry hissed.  
  
“Not so fast, brother! You’re not going to introduce me?” she said in a cheerful tone, turning to the two other boys. “My name’s CJ, don’t let this jackass tell you otherwise. I’m obviously the cooler sibling. And you are?”  
  
“I’m Gil.” Gil waved.  
  
“Carlos.” The boy put his two’s up.  
  
“Nice to meet you. I hope we—”  
  
“CJ I won’t repeat it. Get out, right fucking now,” the older Hook interrupted her roughly.

The smaller girl turned back to him and sighed heavily, while adjusting her hold on a sleeping Croc in her arms. “Why do you _always_ have to kill the mood?” She didn’t wait for a respond though. Instead, she shrugged. “Well, never mind. It’s nice to see that my brother’s friends aren’t losers like him. I’ll catch y’all later!”

She left without looking back.

“Are you always that harsh with her?” Gil asked as he scratched the back of his head.  
  
“She’s a brat. If you guys lived with her, trust me you would be too.”  
  
“Well, I kinda like her,” Uma declared.  
  
“Please don’t. She’s already enough trouble on her own.”  
  
“Are you saying _I’m_ trouble, Hook?”

Harry turned his whole body around on his seat so he could fully face Uma and planted his azure gaze firmly into her own eyes, “Of course you are, my love. You’re the _best_ kind of trouble. Just like the sea, you bring out the worst in me.”


	2. First day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still haven't seen D3 and I'm in no hurry. First because of Cameron... and also because from what I heard about it, there are some things in it I know I won't like so I'm waiting to be in the right state of mind. 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter!  
Xoxo

Evie loved the Sorting ceremony.

It reminded her of the time when she herself stood in the middle of the Great Hall with the other first years, when she wished she had more than two eyes and one brain to take everything in at once.

Finding out she was a witch had been the most frightening, yet the most relieving thing that has ever occurred in Evie’s life. Not that she had a difficult childhood, it had been quite the opposite actually. Most outsiders said about Evie that she was the perfect daughter. Always charming and polite, cultured with admirable grades, and the face of an angel. Her free time has been punctuated by endless mother-daughter shopping sessions, makeup lessons and beauty pageants that, at the end of the day, Regina always enjoyed more than she ever did. But deep down, she always knew that there was more to her. Something different, that kept her from blending in and bonding properly with the other kids at school. She had friends, yet she couldn’t connect.

She confessed that feeling to her mother once, under the the hypnotic, regulated movement of the brush the older woman was softly sliding through her hair, a routine before bedtime. “_Of course you’re different, dearest._” Regina had said. “_You’re the fairest, the fairest of them all. And the people, they don’t understand beauty. They fear the power that it has. They’ll fear you your whole life. Which is why you must learn how to play your cards the right way._”

That wasn’t it. Her beauty couldn’t be the reason why she felt so out of it at times. There were plenty of other beautiful girls in her school, and these girls were like the swans in the river by her stepfather’s country house. They fit in. Whereas Evie felt more like a swan in a kiddie pool.

It took all its sense when her Hogwarts letter came.

She could remember her Sorting as if it was yesterday. The rush of excitement and anticipation she felt when she walked through the huge double doors, barely listening to that Chad boy who was doing the ultimate most to try to impress her but she couldn’t care less because her eyes were too full of stars. The pinch of nervousness in her guts when she sat on the stool in front of everyone as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting hat atop her head, and then the overwhelming sensation of lightness when it screamed “RAVENCLAW!” after barely ten seconds of deliberation.

It felt right. This was who she was.

Ever since, Evie had enjoyed every other ceremony as if it was her own. In her second year, when she watched eagerly as the Minister’s son and the little blonde girl who would soon become her best friends were sent to Gryffindor, as well as the disturbingly beautiful niece of the Death Siren, with her infamous scowl, who became a Slytherin and not long after Mal’s well known archenemy. And again in her fifth year with her new prefect status, watching every new Ravenclaw run to the table while thinking she’ll be the one showing them around after the feast. Dizzy Tremaine has been one of them. Her little Dizzy, whom she considered like her little sister from another mister. Yes, the Sorting ceremony was always one of the highlights of the school year for Evie.

This year was no different. The group of first-years was slightly smaller than it used to be, but still brought the same curious and impatient, excited but wary looks on the young faces. Halfway through the Sorting, “Hook, Calista Jane” became a Slytherin. Upon arriving to the table she gave a big high five to a boy with eyeliner, who Evie recognized to be Harry, Uma’s best friend, before fist bumping Uma herself. Dots quickly connected in the brunette’s head, and she made a mental note to keep an eye out for this one.

By the end of the ceremony, the Ravenclaw house had earned nine new students and like every other year, Albus Dumbledore stood up from his throne-like chair and summoned silence easily with a raise of his hand.

“Welcome,” he said with extended arms. He was smiling with his whole face, eyes shining behind his half-moon glasses. “Welcome to our new students, and welcome back to those who were with us before. I have an announcement to make, but it most certainly can wait until we are all full. Let the feast begin!”

Heads turned in every direction, eyes shared confused looks, murmurs filled the Great Hall as every single student wondered what this ‘announcement’ might be. However, it all came to an end when the empty plates in front of them magically filled with loads of succulent food. Everybody began to fill their plates as conversations continued where they were left off.

At the Gryffindor table, Mal and Ben shared stories of their trip to Greece with a few impressed house mates. Gil and Carlos were discussing new Quidditch strategies with the captain of the Hufflepuff team, where they played as Beater and Chaser respectively. Harry was teaching Uma the lyrics of the sailor songs he learned over the summer (the other Slytherins glanced sideways at Uma to make sure she wouldn’t actually sing). And Evie was catching up with Doug, the very first friend she made in school, and the conversation drifted to O.W.L.s results.

“Ugh, you guys are making me so nervous about the O.W.L.s.,” Audrey, a girl with a stylish brown ponytail who was sitting in front of Evie, whined as she helped herself with some mashed potatoes. “Dementors will laugh before I get an O in Potions.”  
  
“Well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t need to take Potions at N.E.W.T.-level. What’s your career plan?” Doug enquired.  
  
“I have no idea.” Audrey winced. “That’s why I wanna score as much as I can. Can we not talk about this right now?”  
  
“Sure! So what did you do this summer?” Evie asked.

Audrey was gleaming now. “Glad you asked. It was a little boring at first, my three aunts came to our house almost every day. I mean, I love them, but sometimes they can be _a lot_. But then they offered me a one-week vacation in a Muggle spa resort.” She put her hand on her cheek and furrowed her eyebrows pensively. “I was skeptical at first, but they do take skin care really seriously. I didn’t know mud baths were a thing!”

“I did,” Evie confessed with a light chuckle. Doug gave her a confused slash amused look so she explained. “My mom took me to one of those spa things when I was twelve and we took one.”  
  
“It sounds super gross,” Doug commented.  
  
“Yeah, it does take a moment to get used to,” the brunette agreed.  
  
“But afterwards it feels really great,” Audrey said.  
  
“Yep! Leaves your skin as soft as Puffskein fur.”  
  
“Minus the actual fur.”

It made Doug laugh, “Yeah I figured!”

“Anyway. After that, my dad had some kind of meeting at the French Ministry of Magic, so my mom and I came along and we spent another week in Paris. And this city. This _city_!”

She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and with the hand gesture that went with it she said, “This city breathes sophistication and glamour. It’s so chic, so refined, _très charmant_, as they would say. We went shopping everyday…”

The only thing Evie could think about hearing her house mate talk like that – besides the fact that she wished she could visit Paris too – was that Audrey was exactly the type of girl her mother had always hoped she would be growing up.

Later on, after everybody has eaten beyond reason, all the food disappeared from the tables and Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet again.

“Before we get any further, I must take a moment for the usual start-of-term notices. First of all, let us welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Auradon.”

A small, stocky wizard with thick brown eyebrows and an even thicker mustache who was wearing dark green robes stood up from the staff table and gave a small wave. He earned himself a very weak welcoming, for everyone was now unfazed by that yearly change.

“Our caretaker Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that no magic of any kind is permitted in corridors between classes. Also, first years ought to know that access to the forest on the grounds of the school is strictly forbidden. Some older students need to remember that as well.”

Dumbledore marked a small pause. “Anyone wishing to join their House Quidditch team shall give their name to their Head of House. Trials will be held in the second week of the term.”

“And now, the exciting news. I am thrilled to announce that this year marks Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s one thousandth anniversary!”

All the teachers applauded – even Professor Snape, though it looked forced – and so did the students. Screams and whistles were heard. Some began banging the tables with their hands. Dumbledore let the hubbub happen freely, even joined the festivities for two minutes before he spoke again.

“Yes, yes, indeed! It has been exactly one thousand years, since four of the greatest witches and wizards that ever lived came together and founded our dear school. Their shared dream to create a place where young witches and wizards could study magic and be trained safely resulted in this magnificent place that we all cherish. For a thousand years now, Hogwarts has been, for many, including myself, a safe haven. An escape. In other words, a place to call home. For that very reason, it is our most legitimate right that we celebrate it!”

The word ‘celebrate’ echoed through the Great Hall, interrupting the headmaster. However, Dumbledore didn’t seem to mind one bit, a light smile appearing beneath his silver beard.

“Celebrate? Do you think he means cancelling the exams and throwing a massive party?” Audrey whispered excitedly.  
  
“I wouldn’t get too hyped up about exams being cancelled if I were you,” Evie said. “Though I do like the idea of a party.”

Dumbledore raised his hands again and the room was silent within seconds. “You shall get more information about it when the time comes.” A general hum of protest let itself heard, but Dumbledore spoke above it. “Now, I reckon it is time for all of us to join the warmth and comfort of our beds. Hogwarts did not make it through a thousand years with students being fatigued on their first days. Let us therefore say, good night.” He clapped his hands twice.

Evie stood up elegantly as the loud scrapping and clattering began, “I have to show the way to the first years. I’ll see you guys in the common room,” she told Doug and Audrey, who both nodded.

She smoothed out her robes and checked the pin on her chest, then made her way to the group of smaller students, gathered tightly between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables. She went to stand by her fellow prefect, a guy named Louis, before introducing herself to the new students the way she did the previous year. She wanted to appear as kind and reassuring as possible, trustworthy. Safe. And it worked. Some faces looked less frightened. A few even smiled back at her weakly. They made it to the Ravenclaw Tower in a good spirit.

Evie loved the Sorting Ceremony and the start-of-term feast. She reveled in the feeling of warmth, promises and challenges that lingered in the air on these occasions. When she went to bed later that night, she thought of the hundreds of thousands of students who sat down in the Great Hall, walked down the corridors, and slept within the safety of these walls for the past thousand years.

And she was happy.

* * *

The next morning was one of the rare occasions when Uma met Harry in the common room and they went to breakfast together. Usually Uma took longer to get ready and joined him directly in the Great Hall. Once their plates were full, they went on discussing their schedules for the day and one thing was certain: Harry was _not_ happy about his.

“I honestly couldn’t think of a worst way to start the term,” the boy complained, planting his fork roughly in a sausage. “Double History of Magic, and then double Transfiguration? On a Monday morning? Pretty sure that’s what hell looks like.”  
  
“Transfiguration’s not that bad.” Uma shrugged as she brought her glass of pumpkin juice to her lips.  
  
“That’s because you’re the fucking best at it and McGonagall loves you,” Harry grumbled.  
  
“Stop, she doesn’t _love_ me,” the blue haired girl scoffed. “McGonagall doesn’t love anyone.”  
  
“Fine, she tolerates you more than the rest of us. Ughh Seven Seas, she’s gonna get all O.W.L.-y and stress me even more.”

Harry took an angry bite of his sausage. “But History of Magic though,” he whined with his mouth full. “With the Ravs? They’re so … _serious_! At least last year I had Gil to keep me company—”

“Sorry to be the one taking notes,” Uma cut him off sarcastically.  
  
“And I still appreciate you for that darling.”  
  
“Yeah, bet you do. Hi Gil!”

The boy had just plopped down on the bench next to Harry. A few nearby first years looked over suspiciously, whispering to each other probably wondering why a Hufflepuff would come sit at the Slytherin table. Uma glared at them with a frown. “What you looking at?”

They jumped at her tone, looked away quickly to focus on their own breakfasts.

“Hey, what’s up?” Gil said.  
  
“Oh, nothing much. Harry’s mad.” Uma shrugged, biting into a piece of toast.  
  
“I’m not _mad_,” Harry retorted.  
  
“You do look upset,” Gil pointed out. “What’s going on?”  
  
“My schedule’s fucked up, Gilly. What’s your first period?”

“Herbology!” the blonde boy exclaimed happily. The corners of Uma’s mouth curved up. Herbology has been Gil’s favorite subject since the beginning and he was quite good at it. “But then I have double Potions.” His face dropped. “I’m not ready to face Snape.”

Gil’s apprehension didn’t quite seem to reduce Harry’s frustration. “I’d gladly take Snape over Binns. At least he makes me laugh.”

Clearly, Harry wasn’t letting this go anytime soon, so Uma decided to let Gil deal with his rant and go on with her breakfast. Although, she would be lying if she said she didn’t wish they had another class as first period. The subject itself could be interesting, but unfortunately Professor Binns was _dead_ boring, pun intended. If it wasn’t for the fact that she had a deal with Harry – her History notes for his Astronomy ones – she would sleep it off. Gladly.

Just then, the mail came. The usual hundreds of owls streamed into the Great Hall with a loud _woosh_ sound, circling the tables in search of their owners. Uma looked up and spotted her own owl, Revenge, flying towards her with her daily _Daily Prophet_ delivery.

Revenge was a cheeky tawny owl with a rufous brown plumage, that she gifted to herself off of her tip money when she was thirteen. Like her own little personal revenge on this summer job that she despised so much.

Revenge dropped the rolled newspaper onto her lap and landed on the edge of the table.

“Thanks my sweet.” Uma stroked the side of owl’s head with the back of her fingers, then pushed her plate towards her so she could help herself with some food. As Revenge ate, she unrolled the paper.

She never admitted out loud that the real reason why she subscribed was to look out for any news about her aunt breaking out of Azkaban. At home, Ursula made it very clear that there would be no mention of Morgana, ever, under any circumstances. To quote her words: “_This woman is a scum, who deserves everything she got. Her ass is locked up and she’ll die in there. End of discussion. Don’t ask again._”. But small part of Uma couldn’t help but wonder, what if she didn't. What if she came back to ruin everybody's lives again. So, she read the news, every morning. Assuming that an event like this – if it ever occurred – would make the front page, her worries were always quickly dissipated at the sight of the headlines.

Just like today.

Relieved, she skimmed through the front page while sipping on her juice, until Revenge bit at her left wrist with a little hoot.

“Ouch! What? Why are you still here? You usually eat your food and go nap.” Revenge hooted again and wiggled her wings insistently, and that was when Uma noticed the small folded piece of parchment tied to her leg. “Oh, my bad.”

She took the note with care, as a familiar feeling began to grow in her chest. Like she knew who it was from. Just in case, she opened it on her lap, making sure the table hid the view from the boys – who were too busy bickering about who had the worst schedule to notice anyway.

It read:

_Dear Captain,_  
_ I hope all is well; I know you’ve been busy these past two weeks. But at last, we’re back to school, meaning we can catch up properly._  
_ Do you have class just before dinner? I have a free period. We could meet at our usual spot. Let me know if you’re keen._

Uma smiled down at the note. It was indeed who she thought it was. And she had a free period before dinner as well! She hurriedly took her quill and a piece of parchment from her bag, wrote a quick response and sent Revenge off. Now, she was pleased with the fact that she had something to look forward to, and what started off as a regular – more like slightly-worse-than-average – day suddenly felt slightly-better-than-average.

After breakfast, they all headed to their respective classes and, as planned, History of Magic was dreadful. It took Uma a very strong will not to succumb the dullness of Binns’ voice talking about giant wars. She noted Harry’s effort to try and take notes, only for him to give up within fifteen minutes and start doodling on his parchment. He ended up falling asleep on it.

When the bell finally rang for their break, ending their torture, they met Gil in a corner of the yard, where most of the students where gathered in small groups because, though chilly and cloudy, the weather spared them the rain. In total contrast with them, the blonde bore a beaming smile that only could only mean that Herbology was still his favorite subject.

They split again and the pair made its way to the Transfiguration classroom, where they were among the last to arrive. Most of the Gryffindors were already seated and that included, much to Uma’s dismay, Mal and her gang. It was crazy how the tension always seemed to go up several notches whenever these two were in the same room. No verbal exchange, but if looks could kill there would be a need to plan a double funeral this instant. Of course, the whole time Mal made sure her prefect badge was perfectly visible and that irked Uma to the highest point. She wanted to punch the blonde in the throat.

Maybe she should start listening to Gil and work on her emotional control. Whatever that meant.

Luckily, Professor McGonagall came in shortly after.

“Achieving an O.W.L. in Transfiguration, is a mere matter of dedication, practice, and study,” she spoke distinctly. “Put in the work, and you shall pass. Don’t, and well, face the consequences. Beware, however, of an excess of confidence. Having a good level now,” her gaze flickered to Uma, who smirked slightly. “Does not guarantee that you will succeed in the end. I expect serious application from every single one of you. Which brings me to today’s lesson: Vanishing Spells.”

She flicked her wand and complex diagrams appeared on the board, “Although they are easier than their counterpart, Conjuring Spells, they are still very difficult to master and a key test in your O.W.L.”

Following a half an hour lecture, each of them were given a snail to train on and it went without saying that Professor McGonagall was right about the challenge. It was indeed a very hard spell. For a significant period of time, no snail left the tables. Except…

“_Evanesco_.”

The snail in front of Uma disappeared. It was only her second attempt.

“Excellent, Miss Triskelion. Five points to Slytherin,” Professor McGonagall said as she walked by.

Uma was the only exception in Professor Mcgonagall’s facts stating earlier. In her case and her case only, it _was_ guaranteed that she will succeed in the end. Because she didn’t just have a good level in Transfiguration, no. She was madly, insanely skilled. Some would even say gifted. At some point, Professor McGonagall even stopped rewarding the Slytherin house for her achievements because it would be too much, only doing it every once in a while when they were working on more difficult spells. Indeed, that was how talented she was.

On the other hand, the blue haired girl could see Mal struggling with her snail and fuming from the corner of her eye, and she found herself very happy about that. So she decided to help Harry who unfortunately, was struggling as well.

Slightly-better-than-average was turning into good.

* * *

That one period of Care of Magical Creatures after lunch was Uma’s only class of the afternoon. Then it was Gil’s turn to get to History of Magic and Harry had Divination. Her best friend almost pulled his own hair out when she told him she was dropping the subject in fourth year, but she couldn’t be more glad that she did. She had gotten sick of Professor Trelawney telling her she was predestined to follow the path of the Dark Arts in a near future.

She will _never_.

Plus, that whole class was overall following History of Magic’s footsteps in terms of boredom. Uma also wished she could drop the latter but alas, it was still mandatory.

So that made a total of two free periods before dinner, including one that she (reluctantly) planned to use to get started on her essay about giant wars, since she didn’t have to practice the Vanishing Spell.

Because after that, well, she had to be somewhere.

Luckily, her usual table in the back corner of the library was free. She set her things down, and got to work.

By the time the bell rang, Uma was a little infuriated by the fact that she had spent more time trying to find the right books – Madam Pince was about as useful as the crap under her shoe when it came to this – than writing the actual essay. Her head was buzzing with an overflow of dates and stupid names. With a relieved grunt, she shoved her stuff back in her bag and left the library in a haste to head to her rendezvous point.

She pushed the door of the room open to find it unoccupied. Before her was a small study room, square in shape. On one side there was a fireplace that took about a half of the wall, within which a fire was crackling merrily. In front of it lay a soft carpet, two comfy armchairs and a matching couch. The wall in the back was covered by a massive library that reached the ceiling. There was only one rather wide multi-pane window on the other side, with an old-looking table right by it. Paintings hung on the free parts of the walls, all of them representing people studying or researching.

Uma dropped her bag on the couch, amazed at how literally nothing had changed since the last time she was in there. The parchment she had been writing on was still on the table, along with the quill she used. She couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips as she proceeded to read it.

Ten minutes later, the door of the Room of Requirement opened again, to let in the person she was waiting for.

Bearing a radiant grin, hair impeccably straightened falling like two silky black curtains on each side of her head, that person now walking towards her was none other than Evie Grimhilde. And she looked like she had been hurrying.

“Hi!” Evie panted as she pulled her into an embrace.

Ah, true. Uma almost forgot Evie was a hugger. Whereas, well, she wasn’t. But she figured she just couldn’t awkwardly stand there, so she patted the girl’s back with one hand. She smelled good though. She always did.

“Sorry I made you wait,” Evie apologized when she pulled back.  
  
“It’s alright, I just got here. I was in the library before,” Uma said.  
  
“Oh, good. I got held up in Defense Against the Dark Arts,” Evie explained. “I didn’t think it was possible but Auradon is even worse than the one we had last year. Have you met him yet?”

Uma clicked her tongue. “Nope.”

“Ow.” Evie winced. “Well, good luck when you get out there.”  
  
“I can’t wait.”

In her hand, Uma was holding the note she had received from the Ravenclaw brunette in the morning. “You got carried away with this.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Evie whined a little. “I know what we said about not using Revenge to communicate in school. I was going to use one of the school owls but then she saw me in the owlery. I think she understood that I was writing you. She nearly bit my finger off so I just gave her the note.”

She showed her left hand to Uma and indeed, there was a slightly bloody bandage wrapped around the base of her index finger.

“Ouch. She gave my wrist the same treatment when I took too long to take it from her.” Uma lifted her left forearm to expose the small bruise. “She can be really feisty.”  
  
“Not so different from her owner, if I may.” Evie smirked.

Uma deepened her voice and said dramatically, “You know me so well.”

They laughed at that. Then, with a little jump, Evie grabbed both of Uma’s arms and pulled her towards the small couch where they both sat, each on one end of it.

“Okay. First and foremost, I have to tell you I scored an E on my Transfiguration O.W.L.!” Evie announced joyfully.  
  
“Woah, amazing. Congratulations!” And that wasn’t sarcastic. She really meant it.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“You’re welcome.”  
  
“No, I mean, thank _you_. It’s largely thanks to you.”

She was quite right about that. It was the reason why the two even linked up in the first place. Uma’s prowess in Transfiguration were no secret to anyone, and towards the middle of the second term last year, Evie needed help for her O.W.L..

It surprisingly took very little negotiating to get Uma to agree. The girl had found the idea of tutoring Mal’s best friend behind her back quite sneaky and weirdly satisfying. As it went on though, her motivations began to change. She realized she actually grew to enjoy the older girl’s company and that she _genuinely_ wanted her to get a good grade at that O.W.L.. Their tutoring sessions subtly turned into something deeper and warmer. Evie found Uma’s sarcasm funny and endearing. Uma found Evie’s light-heartedness innocent and refreshing.

Next thing they knew, they were friends. On the sly. Exchanging discreet glances across the Great Hall. Using code names in their letters – even during the summer when literally no one at all could catch them, but for some reason they thought it was fun. Meeting secretly in the Room of Requirement that had turned into that cozy place just for them. Sneaking around like the teens they were.

They had discussed the situation one day. Uma had told Evie she didn’t mind hanging out in the open, and the brunette had said the same thing. Before adding that they couldn’t, Mal would go nuts. It was better this way.

It had gotten to a point when Uma often tended to forget who Evie was best friends with. She didn’t care if Dragon face went nuts, as a matter of facts she would _love_ to see that happen. But at the same time she kinda cared about Evie. So she agreed to keep it a secret for her sake.

She didn't even tell Harry.

“I mean, unlike that Auradon guy, _I_ am a great teacher.” Uma flipped her hair smugly making Evie chuckle. Then, she reached for her bag and pulled out the Famous Witch card she collected when she was in the train to hand it to her friend. “By the way, I got this. Thought it might interest you more than me.”  
  
“‘_Sacharissa Tugwood. Pioneer of Beautifying Potions who discovered the pimple-curing properties of Bubotuber Pus_’,” the other girl read out loud. “Well thank you, that’s very sweet of you.”

Uma believed it was. Potions was Evie’s best subject – to Snape’s greatest annoyance, he couldn’t find much to criticize about her work in class – and she cared a lot about her physical appearance. More accurately, she always made sure she looked her best before leaving her common room (her words exactly). It only felt right that she had this card.

“You’re welcome.”  
  
“But I don’t have a pimple now, do I?”

Uma scoffed, “No, you’re fine.”

“Good. Speaking of fine, girl, I _love_ your new hairstyle. Those braids look sick! And that color really suits you.”  
  
“Eh, thanks. Your hair looks great, too! Did you use the spell I told you about?”  
  
“Thank you. And yes! It works wonders. Way better than the flat iron I use at home.”  
  
“What’s a flat iron?”  
  
“The Muggle version of that spell. A device that works with electricity.”  
  
“Electricity,” Uma repeated slowly as she frowned in deep focus for a minute. “The non-magic spark that produces energy, right?”

Evie’s eyebrows furrowed too as she tilted her head to the side. “You remember that.”

“You sound surprised.”  
  
“I admit I am, a little.”  
  
“I listen when you speak you know?” Uma retorted dryly, her voice ever so slightly rising in volume.

And now Evie looked confused.

“I know. But it’s been so long since I told you that, I didn’t think—”

Uma crossed her arms and gave Evie attitude, cutting her off, “Are you implying I’m dumb?”

Evie’s expression went from apologetic to distressed as she tried desperately to make up for her words. “What? No, not at all!”

“That’s offensive!”  
  
“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant! I just—” She interrupted herself because the Slytherin blue haired gradually broke out into laughter. Evie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “That was a joke. You were joking. And now you’re making fun of me. Great, just great.”

Uma laughed even harder. “It gets you all. The. Damn. Time! I can’t,” she said breathlessly.

“Shut up!” Evie was starting to laugh as well.  
  
“You should've seen your face!”

Evie threw a pillow at her.

That was how things usually were between them. Easy and carefree. Whether it was about random, silly topics or more serious matters.

And about thirty minutes later, they were still in the exact same spot. Evie had her arm folded on the back of the couch, head resting against her palm, a half smile plastered on her face and her walnut eyes piercing and intense as she listened to Uma talking. A little too intense for the kind of anecdote that was being told.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Uma asked, cautious.  
  
“For nothing,” Evie said in a husky voice. “I’m just happy to see you.”

Uma felt warm and it had nothing to do with the fire in the grate. “I’m happy to see you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Evie's mother, Regina, is not the Regina from Once Upon A Time (I wish, because Regina Mills is my wife and I love her, but it didn't sound right given her personality). Just imagine a Muggle version of the Descendants Evil Queen with the name Regina.


	3. The announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features mentions of underage drinking.
> 
> I don't encourage you to drink if you're a minor. Really. 
> 
> Also, I changed the name of Spindlewheel (Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, cf previous chapter) to 'Auradon' because why tf not. Don't judge me. I woke up one day and thought it was genius. And well, it's my story so I can do what I want, right?
> 
> Anyway. Enjoy!

The next time Evie saw Uma after their encounter in the Room of Requirement was on Wednesday morning when they crossed paths outside the Arithmancy classroom, as the Slytherin girl was heading out and Evie was waiting to get in. Uma had kept her best poker face on as she purposely brushed past her and subtly slipped a piece of parchment in her hand, that Evie took while she pretended she didn’t notice the other girl.

_Hey Princess,_  
_ I think it’s going to be more complicated for us to see each other this year. I have a shitload of homework to get done and just thinking about it gives me migraines. Which is sad, because it’s only been three days. So yeah, check on me to see if I’m not dead by Friday evening. Then maybe we can catch up this weekend or something._  
_ PS: sorry, my manners. Hope you’re doing alright. Have a great day._  
_ PPS: you were right by the way. Auradon’s awful._

A funny huffing sound had left Evie’s mouth as she read it. Uma wrote like she talked. Not only could she literally _hear_ the girl say all of that, she could even imagine her face while doing so. A quite adorable vision, she found herself thinking. A thought that had her realizing how wide she had been smiling the whole time, and it instantly faltered a little.

Adorable, in a friendly way of course. Friends could find each other adorable, right?

Evie thanked the heavens that Doug showed up and sat next to her two seconds later, putting an end to a long and confusing mental debate before it even began.

Except that today was finally Friday, and Doug wasn’t here at the moment to stop it from happening.

It was the day when Evie's schedule was the lightest. Like many other sixth years, she had dropped History of Magic – despite the fact that she received an ‘Outstanding’ O.W.L. – so she had the first two periods of the day free. She never took Ancient Runes Studies and she had dropped Divination as well, so it freed her whole afternoon. That left her only class of the day, double Transfiguration after the morning break and then she was done.

Considering all the time she had, the brunette had decided to give herself a moment to relax before tackling her homework which, unlike her day, wasn’t light _at all_.

So there she was, by herself on one of the stone benches of the Clock Tower courtyard. A chilly but gentle breeze blew giving her cheeks a soft rosy tint, under a sky that couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to rain or not. The book she had been reading for the past couple of days laid open across her lap as she sat cross-legged, though at the moment she wasn’t getting much reading done. The old classic issue of reading-the-same-line-over-and-over, words waltzing before her eyes without her being alert enough to catch their meanings. And yes, she knew exactly what was distracting her – or rather who, her adorable blue haired Slytherin _friend_ – but she forced her brain to cooperate because she didn’t want to overthink it ahead of time.

Because yes, she had the intention to write to Uma this evening.

Evie hoped she wouldn’t be ‘dead’.

“_Don’t worry Princess, you haven’t seen the last of me._”, had been Uma’s answer when Evie asked her if she minded that they kept in touch during summer break. She had tried to ignore the chill that traveled down her spine when she called her ‘Princess’. Just like she had tried to ignore it in Arithmancy when she read Uma’s letter. And now, well, she found it very convenient that she could blame it on the weather rather than—

On second thought, maybe she should’ve been doing homework.

“How are you not cold?” suddenly said a voice on her left.  
  
“Holy magic mirrors!” Evie cried out, startled, nearly falling backwards and the impulse sent her book on the floor.

Mal appeared in her line of vision when she hurried to pick it up.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” the blonde said with a little embarrassed wail, giving it back.  
  
“Thanks. Pheww.” Evie breathed out, hand pressing against her rapidly beating heart. “You know, you should really stop creeping up on me like that when I’m reading.”  
  
“I’m so sorry,” Mal repeated. “But how do I do that, you’re always reading.”  
  
“Try a gentler approach then. Or one day you’ll make me snap my neck.”

She swung her legs over the edge of the bench motioning for Mal to sit. Something seemed off about her, she noted.

“Where are Lonnie and Ben?” Evie asked.

Li Lonnie was Mal and Ben’s close friend from Gryffindor. Born to Muggle parents just like Evie, she was a clever, down-to-earth and extremely competitive young witch who turned out to be an excellent Quidditch player. Evie appreciated her a lot.

Mal didn’t watch her to answer, “Lonnie doesn’t have class until later this morning so she’s in the common room. And Ben’s at the library. He said something about planning the Quidditch tryouts. I’ll join him later.”

Yeah, something was definitely off.

“Mal are you okay?” Evie voiced her concern.

The blonde didn’t answer straight away. Her eyes were staring into space, but she finally let out a sigh. “Today’s the anniversary of Mahlon’s death,” she said in a saddened tone, confirming the older girl’s doubts.

Evie felt like a slap had been delivered across her face, and she mentally slapped herself again for forgetting. Mal’s older brother Mahlon died when she was a child. Not really knowing what to say, she gave Mal an apologetic look and reached for her hand, squeezing it.

“It’s been six years, and there hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t thought of him.”

Evie opened her mouth to say something – anything really. She didn’t care what it was as long as she didn’t remain silent – but Mal beat her to it.

“Don’t beat yourself up if you forgot.”

Evie pouted, not finding the heart to deny it, “I wish I didn’t. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright really.” Mal squeezed her hand reassuringly.  
  
“Do you want to talk about it?” Evie offered.

Mal glanced up to meet her best friend’s gaze, green eyes glossy, and shrugged, “I don’t know.”

Evie took this as a cue to move on. It wasn’t often that Mal opened up about her brother, no matter how much she knew the girl needed it at times. Like now, visibly. But she also knew that forcing Mal to talk would be totally useless, she’d only shut herself even more. While digging in the bottom of her brain for new topic of conversation, she noticed that the Gryffindor girl was holding a book of her own, a large but thin notebook with a light brown leather cover. Her sketchbook. Contrary to common belief of those who didn’t know her, Mal had an artistic soul and a great talent for drawing and painting. According to Ben, she’s been doing it a lot more after Mahlon passed away. He reckoned she used it as some kind of self-therapy.

Evie nodded towards it. “What’ve you been working on?”

With a wee bit more enthusiasm, Mal started giving Evie a tour of her latest pieces.

“Wow. Mal these are amazing!” Evie said, impressed, as Mal flipped through the book.  
  
“Thanks. These two are from Greece.” The blonde pointed two small drawings that both fit on one page. “This one’s a chimaera. And this is–”  
  
“The crest of Gryffindor revisited with an actual griffin,” Evie completed. “Innovative, I like it.”

Mal turned the page to reveal her most recent work, a much bigger drawing of a handsome young man riding a dragon with his wand pointed towards the sky. Next to it was a photograph that appeared to represent the real life version of the man. Mahlon. No older than seventeen years old on the picture, he held his head high, short blond hair ruffled, tiny dimples showing when he smiled and familiar emerald eyes sparkling behind a pair of rectangle glasses.

“You look so much like him,” Evie observed.

And they both looked like their mother. But she abstained from saying that. She looked at Mal to see her bearing a sad little smile.

“I used to draw these pictures of him in crazy, heroic situations and send them to him when he was a student here. He would enchant them.”

_Ah, there it is_, Evie thought.

Pulling out her wand, Mal turned her words into deeds and enchanted the drawing. The dragon roared soundlessly and began to flap its wings, flying all over the double page with Mahlon waving his wand in the air and streams of sparks gushing out of it. “He said that whenever he was feeling down or overwhelmed by stress, he looked at my drawings and they’d tell him stories. They’d take his mind off things for a while and then he was good to go again. Now I don’t know if he really meant it or if he just said it to boost my seven-year-old ego,” she chuckled in spite of herself, probably recalling a painful yet sweet memory. “But I kept making them because I never wanted him to be stressed.”

She trailed the tip of her fingers over where the face of her brother was. “This is my first time drawing him again since he died.”

“It's beautiful,” Evie said sincerely, wiping a tear – the first of many – that was rolling down Mal’s porcelain cheek.  
  
“Mother says art is pointless. She reckons I should stop spending so much time drawing and focus on my education the way Mahlon did but, besides being my passion, it’s the only thing that still makes me feel connected to him, you know?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
“He was everything to me. I just miss him so much.” Mal’s voice cracked, a strangled sob escaping her throat.  
  
“Oh, M,” Evie whispered pulling her into her arms.

Her heart stung seeing her best friend break down like this. Mahlon’s sudden death had left Mal completely devastated at the tender age of nine, and until this day she was still very sensitive about it. Evie remembered hearing her say it left a void in her that she will never be able to fulfill again. When she lost Mahlon, she lost her role model and her guide. The one person who could’ve truly understood the hardship of having their parents, the pressure for excellence, the demoralizing feeling of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing. When she lost him, that big brother that she basically worshipped, she lost a part of herself.

If for many Mal appeared like the archetype of the rich, popular high school girl – a mask that she wore with astounding ease – Evie knew the girl felt lonelier and more insecure than she’d ever admit, and the brunette really wished there was more she could do to help her heal that open wound, if it could ever be healed. For now, she just let Mal cry freely against her chest (she didn’t even mind the snot on the front of her robes), holding the girl tight while soothingly running her hand up and down her back.

A familiar dash of guilt slowly began to crawl into her. Seeing Mal so sad reminded her how wrong her secret friendship with Uma really was.

She had known from the beginning that it was a very, _very_ bad and selfish idea to turn to Uma for tutorship. But she only thought about one thing when she did it: her upcoming exam, and a possibility of failure that she couldn't bring herself to consider. Ever since, the guilt had been there.

She felt guilty that she even asked. Then when it started she felt guilty about not wanting to stop because she ended up taking a liking to Uma. Now she felt guilty that she liked being Uma’s friend, Uma the person whom her best friend hated the most.

Yet, she let it happen and let herself get bogged down in a situation she had little to no control on anymore, because at the end of the day she _really_ liked Uma – as a friend, of course.

She felt terribly guilty that she was lying to Mal about something that big. She had quite simply betrayed her best friend. And it was making her feel even guiltier to see the girl in pain because of her brother when she knew that…

… Mahlon had been one of Morgana’s victims.

Murdered by the Death Siren shortly after his Hogwarts graduation. Motive? He was a wizard from a notorious pure-blood family dating a Muggle-born young witch.

The whole animosity between Mal and Uma had started because of that, after their Sorting, when Mal discovered Uma’s identity. Invaded by a blind rage caused by her grief, Mal had cast the first stone, and it wasn’t a light one. Uma, who couldn't have seen that coming even if she was wearing Doug’s glasses, never forgave. Followed a series of events that embittered the issue and led to the point they were at today: years of mutual loathing, words that couldn’t be taken back, actions that couldn't be erased from memories.

Evie felt guilty that she stuck herself in the middle of this for her own benefit, like she was mocking her best friend’s pain. And it was with that guilt gnawing at her guts that, when Mal’s sobs began to quiet down, Evie said:

“He would be proud of you, you know.”

Mal snorted, “If he was alive, I’m not so sure he’d be proud that I almost got suspended last year for fighting with Uma. Damn it, we have Care of Magical Creatures _and_ double Potions with the Slytherins today and I’ll have to see her stupid fucking face.”

Now _why_ did she have to be mentioned. It was already hard enough. And even harder to hear her best friend talk so harshly about her… other friend. She really didn't want to have to pick a side.

“Well, if he was alive that wouldn’t even have happened, right?” Evie said, carefully bringing the focus back on Mahlon. “And he’d still be proud of you. But mostly, I think he’d want you to pursue the route of whatever makes you happy. So regardless of what your mother thinks, not only for Mahlon but for you too, please keep doing art. He’d want you to. _I_ want you to.”  
  
“That last bit’s true I guess.” Mal sniffed and sat up at last, her eyes red and swollen. She granted the brunette a tiny smile. “Thank you E. For… being here.”

Evie caressed her cheek, “No need to thank me. You know I’ll never be out of reach if you need me. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Very selfishly, she still had the intention to write to Uma this evening.

* * *

Way too fast for everyone’s liking, October arrived and spread a damp chill over the Hogwarts grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey’s Pepperup Potion against common colds became at least as consumed as pumpkin juice during breakfast, for staff and students alike, most memorable case being Hagrid who due to his size had to triple the usual prescribed dosage and managed to cloud a whole corridor with the steam coming out of his ears.

Their first trip of the year to Hogsmeade had been announced for the second weekend of the month, allowing the third-year students and above with a parental authorization to have something fun to look forward to. Which left CJ Hook in a state of pure despair that caused her to try to sneak past Filch when people began to leave the castle, a thoughtless trick that the caretaker knew way too well so of course, he caught her.

Unfortunately, a biting wind has been blowing and hissing since the early hours of the day, making the walk to the village much less enjoyable. Students bent double to shield themselves, all wrapped from nose to toes with thick coats and scarves – a lot of them really wondered what had gotten into them, _why_ did they decide to leave the warmth of their common rooms – and still the few parts that remained uncovered felt like they were stabbed by miniature knives when they finally made it to their destination.

“Bloody hell, can you believe this weather? I’m fucking _freezing_!_”_ Harry complained loudly as he entered the Three Broomsticks along with Uma, Gil and Carlos. “Hey Rosie! Can you point me to your warmest table? I feel like a bloody iceberg,” he then shouted to the good-looking woman busy serving drinks behind the bar.  
  
“I will if you watch your language in my pub, Harry!” Madam Rosmerta answered sternly.  
  
“Oops. Pardon me, m’lady. This wind is altering my brain cells.”

Though the inn was extremely crowded as usual, they luckily spotted a small table towards the back where a group of older wizards were getting ready to leave. Uma and Carlos quickly claimed it while Gil and Harry stayed at the bar to get them drinks.

As Uma took off her coat, her eyes roamed all over the room out of mere curiosity to see who was in here.

Her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw Evie.

The Ravenclaw brunette was sitting at a larger table in the far back, right by the fireplace, with Mal (obviously) and her boyfriend, that Doug dude, and the Chinese girl whose name she couldn’t remember who played Seeker on the Gryffindor team. They seemed to be having a pretty animated conversation.

Even her casual clothes looked classier than what Uma wore on her formal days. While the aqua haired girl had put on a simple pair of black jeans, a light grey oversized knitted sweater that fell off one of her shoulders showing the black tank top underneath, and her favorite dark brown leather boots, Evie on the other hand, as if to laugh in the face of the wind raging outside, was wearing a_ crème_ colored blouse buttoned up to her neck with a thin black ribbon tied around the collar, that she had tucked into a short black leather skirt, black opaque tights and low-heeled black boots. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail in its natural wavy state – the air was too moist and windy to attempt to straighten it anyway – that she was playing with absently.

Being probably the _only_ witch in the _whole world_ who didn’t like Butterbeer – Uma couldn't believe her ears when she found out. She had to make her repeat it. Three times. And even then she couldn’t believe it – she was sipping on some kind of dark red beverage with a straw.

For real though, how could one not like Butterbeer? How could someone that gorgeous not like Butterbeer?

She had been right about assuming that they wouldn’t see each other as much as they used to. Their respective homework was piling up like crazy, increasing in both quantity and difficulty. The teachers gave out assignments not caring if they were done with what they already had and Uma was already feeling like she would never see the end of it. As a result, she only met with Evie three times in the past five weeks. And she had to admit that she missed the older girl quite a lot.

Shaking her head, Uma forced herself to look away before her staring became too obvious, and just in time, as Gil placed a foaming mug of Butterbeer in front of her. She thanked him and took out the nougat chunk she had just bought from Honeydukes.

“I really wish they’d let us have Firewhisky,” Harry sighed after he took a sip of his own Butterbeer. “I had some with my Da’ and it’s, well, fire. Best thing ever.”  
  
“My brothers made me try it, too. Burns your throat just the right way,” Gil approved.  
  
“Gives your head a good spin, huh?”

Gil scratched the back of his head with a light chuckle, “Yeah, that too! I was completely out of it.”

“But that’s what makes it so great.” Harry winked. “I’m so cold I could use some right now.”  
  
“I admit it would be nice.”

Doubtful, Uma got in the way of their Firewhisky praise. “Should I be worried about a drinking problem, boys?” She took a bite from her nougat.

“Oh come on.” Harry said. “Don’t tell me you never gave it a try. Does your mom not sell alcohol in her restaurant?”  
  
“Yes she does, but no I didn’t.” Uma said as she chewed.

Harry held a hand out in front of him. “Hold up. Uma, my love, you never had alcohol? And nope, Butterbeer’s like zero point five percent, it doesn’t count.”

“In that case then no, I never drank.” Uma shrugged.

Harry blinked, the signature black eyeliner that circled his blue orbs making it look like blackbird wings flapping. “Blimey. You need to catch up girl.”

Uma frowned, “Why? As far as I know, this isn’t a race.”

“I know it isn’t. It’s just funny that for once _you’re_ the one who hasn’t done something we all did.”  
  
“You all? Even—”  
  
“Yep! Even him,” Harry clicked his tongue, then called for his Hufflepuff white haired friend. “Carlos, tell her about that Truth or Dare game you played with your pal back home.”

No answer from the person in question.

“Carlos?” Harry called again.

But the younger boy clearly wasn’t listening. His drink was practically untouched and his eyes were fixed on the entrance of the pub. Harry waved his hand in front of his face making him jump.

“Oi, Earth to De Vil, I’m talking to you, mate!”  
  
“What are you looking at?” Gil asked.  
  
“Nothing.” Carlos hurriedly took a sip of Butterbeer.

Uma’s eyes drifted to the door and she picked on something. It didn’t take long for her to put two and two together, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips. “I think the better question is _who_.”

“There’s no one.” Yet his eyes looked in that direction again.  
  
“You’re blushing,” Harry pointed out.  
  
“I’m not!”

He was. With the current color of his freckled face, his cheeks looked like very pale ladybugs.

“Yes, yes you are.” Uma confirmed, happy that the focus was taken off of her not drinking. “Could it have something to do with the three girls who just walked in, by any chance?”

Harry and Gil looked, catching a glimpse of the little group standing by the bar.

“Wait, I’ve seen them in the common room a couple times. They’re in your year, aren’t they?” Gil asked with furrowed brows.  
  
“Thanks a lot Gil,” Carlos mumbled as he sunk down on his chair, face as red as ever.  
  
“Ah, busted!” Uma hit the table with her palm, earning herself a few glares. She leaned over the table and said in a lower voice, “Which one do you have a crush on?”

For someone who hated being the center of attention and being talked about, she was ironically a sucker for this kind of gossip.

“Please don’t say all three. That can never work.” Harry shook his head.

Carlos made a face. “What? Are you mad? No, not all three.”

The poor boy understood by the looks his three older friends were giving him that they wouldn’t give up so easily.

“Ugh, fine. The one with a bow in her hair,” Carlos reluctantly admitted.

His house mate and the two Slytherins all craned their necks at the same time to see her more clearly, in the most non-discreet way possible. Harry even stood up from his seat. The girl was rather small, with long dark brown locks of hair kept out of her sweet roundish face by a blue hairband topped with a bow.

Carlos looked like he was about to die of shame. He pulled Harry down by his sleeve. “Damn it, can you guys be anymore scandalous?”

“She’s very cute.” The blue eyed boy smirked. “Tell us more.”  
  
“Well, her name’s Jane, and yes she’s in my year,” was all Carlos said.

The three others stared at him expectedly. “What, that’s all? No details?” Uma insisted.

“I—I do have a crush on her,” Carlos muttered shyly.  
  
“Yeah, that I figured. But do you guys talk?” Uma asked.  
  
“I mean, we have the same classes and stuff so yeah, we talk sometimes. Casually.”  
  
“Oh well, at least she knows you exist.” Harry lifted his glass. “I can only imagine how fascinating your talking sessions might be though. School and homework, wow!”  
  
“We can talk about other things…”  
  
“Wait a minute. Is _she_ the reason why you were such in a hurry to leave Honeydukes?” Uma questioned, quirking an eyebrow. “You knew she’d come here?”  
  
“Maybe I—hum... I might’ve heard them talk in the common room this morning,” Carlos confessed embarrassedly.

Uma frowned, “Ooo—kay. Well you’re here now and so is she. Did you plan on just sitting here like a stalker or are you going over there to talk to her?”

“I’m not a—” Carlos started in a loud nervous voice. He toned it down a bit before he continued. “I’m not a stalker, okay? I just like being in the same places as her.”  
  
“So you can watch her? That’s borderline stalking, dude,” Harry stated.  
  
“Look who’s talking,” Uma scoffed at him.  
  
“‘Beg your pardon?” Harry coughed.  
  
“As if you’ve never done that before.”  
  
“Lady, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Sure he didn’t. It wasn’t like Harry had eavesdropped on a conversation between two other members of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team to know about their practice schedule in their third year, so he could show up there unnoticed and watch Gil, sometimes forcefully dragging Uma along with him. When really he could’ve just _asked_ Gil, it would’ve been easier and less creepy.

“Don’t worry Carlos.” The blonde boy said reassuringly to his younger friend. “As long as you respect her privacy and you don’t make it an all time thing, you’re good. Actually, I think it’s kinda sweet.”  
  
“You’d be surprised how sweet I can be.” Harry followed up flirtatiously.

Uma rolled her eyes in utter astonishment. The nerve of this guy.

The topic of Jane caused Uma to glance over Evie’s table again. She was laughing. The sight itself was enough to make the girl’s insides tingle, but if she focused a little more she could hear it, a sound as sweet and soft as the nougat she was snacking on. This time though, Evie’s gaze actually met hers for a mere second and the other girl winked before bringing her attention back to her friends.

Uma had also hoped to see the brunette at the Three Broomsticks today, although unlike Carlos she knew Evie was going to be there because she had said it in a letter, with no specific time. The fact that it actually happened made her believe in some kind of lucky star. Or maybe it was only a matter of very good timing.

Did that make her a stalker, too? Or just a teenager who had slowly developed a crush on the girl she was secretly tutoring last year?

Uma had never been one to be ashamed of the fact that she was exploring her sexuality. She never had a reason to be. For one, because the few persons who knew about it were pretty supportive. Harry and Gil, Carlos, even her mother. She was in no hurry to label herself, since she had never really dated boys before – the couple summer flings she had couldn’t possibly be considered proper relationships – but she wasn’t opposed to the eventuality of dating a girl either. In this moment, however, she was _very_ certain that she was _not_ immune to the charms of the stunning black haired girl sitting in the back of the room.

She wished she could take her own advice to Carlos and go over there. Say hi properly. Sit and have a chat with Evie over a drink (even though she _didn’t like Butterbeer_, for heaven’s sake!). Laugh together. Those same things they did hidden from the world in the Room of Requirement, right here, in the Three Broomsticks. Or anywhere else for that matter. She wished she was up close to stare into those rich walnut eyes, maybe even reach for that perfectly manicured hand and–

A pale hand running through platinum blonde hair with purple tips brought her back to reality. Of course. The very owner of that hand made all of this impossible and as much as she wanted to respect Evie’s wishes, sometimes she had to resist the urge to say ‘screw it’ and go with her instincts.

Uma felt herself getting hot in the cheeks and thanked the Seven Seas for her decision to let her braids down today, and also her darker complexion that made a pretty good job at hiding it.

Thankfully, the boys were still talking about Jane.

“You should ask her out,” Gil was suggesting.  
  
“No way.” Carlos shook his head frantically. “I don’t think she likes me like that.”  
  
“You won’t know that unless you ask.” Uma smoothly slid her way back into the conversation, no muss, no fuss.  
  
“I don’t know. What would I even say?”  
  
“Just ask her if she’d like to hang out some day, just the two of you,” Gil responded.  
  
“You guys make it sound so simple,” Carlos sighed. “I don’t wanna make a fool of myself.”

Harry shrugged, tilting his head to the side. “That’s the risk, mate.”

“Just go for it.” Uma finished her nougat.  
  
“I agree. And you know what, Gilly, I think _you and I_ should hang out some day, just the two of us,” Harry said as he put a hand on Gil’s muscular shoulder, tapping his chin with the forefinger of his other hand.

Gil laughed, “But Harry, we already do that a lot!”

Uma facepalmed herself. This boy was definitely the definition of obliviousness.

Though when she thought about it, if she offered Evie the same thing, she might be given that same sort of response.

* * *

It was finally Halloween.

As a heavy rain poured outside, everybody was happy to be warm and dry under the magic ceiling of the Great Hall with a thick, thundering grey cloud hovering over them like a menacing shadow. As usual, for the feast, a few dozens of Hagrid’s gigantic crafted pumpkins – as well as smaller ones – filled with candles floated above their heads, hung from the walls and adorned the tables. It was also the night when the Hogwarts ghosts felt the most playful, popping out of nowhere to scare the students.

And the food, as usual, was delicious. From mains to desserts, every dish made at least one person’s evening.

When all the tables magically cleaned themselves in the end leaving behind spotless plates, Professor McGonagall hit the edge of her spoon against her glass a few times, the piercing clinking noise resonating above the chatter.

“May I get your attention please,” she demanded. “Professor Dumbledore has something to say to you all.”  
  
“Thank you, Minerva,” Professor Dumbledore said as he stood up. “What better way to conclude the thousandth Halloween of Hogwarts, than yet another magnificent feast. At the beginning of the term, I promised you more information about the way we were going to celebrate. I ought to stand by my word.”

He paused, smiling with his eyes behind his half-moon spectacles. “My dear students, in honor of Hogwarts’s anniversary, the Ministry of Magic, the professors, and myself, are more than delighted to invite you all to the first ever Millennial Ball!”

He couldn’t have picked a better word to stir the interest of the students. ‘A _ball_?’ was heard throughout the Great Hall at least a hundred times, excitement spreading around as if carried by the wind. He had to wait several minutes for the turmoil to simmer down.

“It has been a few centuries since an event of this kind was held in Hogwarts. I guess a millennium makes a rather significant occasion. The ball will take place here, in the Great Hall, on the evening of December the twenty-first. The doors will open at seven o’clock, when we shall all enjoy a variety of refreshments and _hors-d'œuvres_. A dinner will be served at eight, and then, well, our feet shall do the rest.”

With a little smirk that only he could know about, Dumbledore added, “You are, of course, entitled to bring a partner.” Another wave of excited murmurs soared, reactions diverse, from total disinterest to slight panic, including furious giggling, teasing and jesting. Dumbledore had to speak slightly louder. “It is by no means a compulsory event. If such is your will, you may decide not to attend. But to those who do wish to participate, I therefore invite you to take out your best attire, get your best dancing shoes shined, and get yourselves ready for an unforgettable celebratory night.”

His voice suddenly retrieved a more serious tone, “Now, let us all be perfectly clear. While I wish nothing but great times for everyone, that does not mean that all discipline will be unregarded. We do expect you to keep honoring the school’s values and principles even in matters of festivities. Any form of havoc or misbehavior will be penalized.”

Dumbledore then smiled as if he hadn’t just threatened three hundred people.

“On that happy note, off to bed everyone. Good night!”

* * *

Evie dreamed about a ball that night.

She was in a gigantic ball room with light marble walls and golden framed mirrors all over the place, in a scenario similar to those of the princess tales she loved so much as a child. In her dream, Evie _was_ the princess, the one with the sumptuous sparkly gown and the shining crown on top of her head. The marble castle was hers, and a perfect, beautiful prince – the same one from all her other dreams – was making her dance in the middle of the room, under the adoring gazes of the hundreds of other guests. She felt like she was flying. Her prince let go of her and she closed her eyes as she twirled around, feeling the music resonate through her whole body. She twirled, and twirled, and twirled, her dress sending glitters everywhere. But she was getting dizzy, maybe her prince should come back and catch her …

He did. A pair of arms encircled her waist sweetly and kept her from falling. She chuckled, opening her eyes expecting to stare at her prince’s perfect, beautiful face, but instead …

Smooth brown skin. Warm chocolate eyes. Full, glossy lips curved into a playful smirk. A cascade of long turquoise colored braids. And a mellow, raspy voice that said:

“Careful, Princess.”

Real life Evie’s eyes flew open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was obviously inspired by the Yule Ball. Sue me. Y'all remember how it goes right? How do you think our students will handle it? (Fun fact: dec 21st is my birthday.)
> 
> And I have to say, thank you soooo much for the kudos, comments, etc..!!! As this is the first story that I actually share with the world (cuz I've written a few...) it means a lot to see that you guys like it. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I'll do my best not to disappoint.
> 
> Next chapter might take a little longer to get here because uni is starting soon, it's gonna take all my time and energy again. But I won't disappear I promise.


	4. Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: slight homophobia.

The news of the Millennial Ball had the whole school abuzz. Over the weekend that followed the Halloween feast, one couldn’t turn a corner or enter a room without hearing about it, if they weren’t the one mentioning it themselves. Never before have so many owls left the school in such a short amount of time (and for the same reason), for everyone had been writing to their family, friends or couturier about it.

Back in Diagon Alley, Madam Malkin couldn’t recall a single time in her life when her shop had received so many dress robes orders from Hogwarts students – although unlike them, she had been expecting it. She had gotten a letter from Dumbledore in early June to inform her of the event.

Even the Hogwarts Express was announced to be rescheduled, so that those who wanted to go home for the Christmas holidays could still do it after attending the ball.

Also a huge matter (and probably the most debated): dates. Gossiping in Hogwarts was taken to a whole new level in a matter of hours, between those taking a guess on who would invite who, those who wondered if they would be brave enough to ask their crush out – Carlos was definitely not feeling brave enough for the time being, panic striking him like a Bludger every time he saw Jane somewhere – and those who were, willingly or not, planning on going solo.

“Well, I already know who I’m going with, and she’s perfect,” Ben had said in the Great Hall after Dumbledore sent them off to bed, as he wrapped his arm around Mal’s shoulders and pulled her close to his side to plant a kiss on her temple. The girl had immediately covered her face with her hands to hide her cheesy smile and reddening cheeks under a choir of _awwww_’s from other Gryffindors nearby.

Audrey had adopted a similar behavior, bouncing happily as she entered the Ravenclaw common room that same night. “I knew Dumbledore would plan a party. This is so exciting! Chad and I are _obviously_ going together.” She was already planning that Chad Charming, the sixth-year Gryffindor hottie she was dating, would be wearing something that matched her dress.

In brief, seven weeks away from its occurrence, the Millennial Ball was shaking a lot of things.

Evie wasn’t spared.

As much as the brunette reveled in the idea of a school dance – she had also sent a letter to her mother. The older Grimhilde woman was over the moon as though she was the one going, already bombarding her daughter with outfit options – this particular one was tormenting her more than it should have. Simply enough, it was all because of one thing: her dream.

She hadn’t actually minded it the first time – at least not too much – thinking that it was probably her brain mixing things up since she was in an atypical situation with Uma, Uma who called her ‘Princess’ for fun and whom she had seen just one hour before the Halloween feast.

Her reaction was a lot different when she had that same dream again a second, then a third, and a fourth time after that, with Uma appearing in it a little bit earlier each time, until the fourth night, Sunday night, there was no more prince. That time, she woke up panting, forehead sweaty, and heart pounding like crazy in her chest as if she had been having a nightmare. Although _technically_ what was happening beforehand was far from being one.

It was outright wonderful. Uma-of-her-dream was making her dance, indefatigable in the marble castle, their sparkly ball gowns sending twice as much glitter in the room as they twirled together. Then she let go and Evie twirled alone until she was dizzy, but Uma caught her in time, held her safely in her arms. Evie wrapped her own arms around her neck, and that was a perfect moment when Uma began to lean in, closer, and closer… her beautiful lips only a breath away from hers when…

“_You can't do things like this. It’s wrong!_”

All at once everyone disappeared, leaving Evie all alone in her marble castle, suddenly dark and very cold, with that loud voice that resonated everywhere from the high ceiling to the depths of Evie’s body. And she suddenly didn’t feel safe anymore.

“_It’s wrong. You hear me? Very wrong!_”  
  
“_It’s wrong._”  
  
“_Wrong!_”

Taking in deep breaths that she wanted relaxing, real life Evie laid flat on her back. It felt hot and muggy in her four-poster bed, unusual since it was the beginning of November. She brought her hands to her face as an unpleasantly familiar heat let itself feel on her skin, red and stinging like the mark on her cheek on the one and only time in her whole life that she had been slapped.

Punished for having ‘wrong’ feelings when she was younger.

Except no one ever explained what was so wrong about them. She’d been told they were ‘unnatural and ‘sinful’ (she never really caught the true meaning of that word). She’d been told it was a shame and an obscenity. That she must never have them again. And Evie, lost, did exactly that. She pushed these ‘wrong’ thoughts far in the back of her mind and never mentioned them again, though she knew they didn’t go away. But at times she couldn’t help but wonder.

If it was so wrong, why did it feel so right?

Evie tossed and turned under her sheets, frustrated that she couldn’t keep her eyes closed to fall back asleep already.

On Monday morning, she was running on too little sleep, and seeing how busy her schedule was only made her crave her bed even more. The Millennial Ball was still on all the lips to the great displeasure of the teachers who were having a hard time keeping their students’ attention.

Especially Snape, surely the one who was the less thrilled by it.

“I would strongly recommend you to leave all unnecessary blabbing about this foolish ball _out_ of my classroom,” the Potions master told the sixth years whom he had on first period, before they even sat. His tone was sharper than usual, if that was even possible.

And Evie was very glad that he did, because talking about the ball only revived her disturbing dream and the ‘wrong’ thoughts she’s been having towards the girl with the aqua braids.

For the first time since they started hanging out, Evie hadn’t replied to Uma’s letters.

The class comprised exactly eleven students all houses combined, Snape’s infamous ‘elite’, in other words those who managed to obtain an ‘Outstanding’ in their Potions O.W.L.: Evie, Doug, and two more Ravenclaws, two Gryffindors, two Hufflepuffs and three Slytherins, one of them being, against all odds, Jay. To say they were all surprised to see the long haired boy in the dungeons on the first day was an understatement. Not because he was a bad student per se, his grades were correct – within the mid-range, but decent – but he never really appeared to show enough interest in Potions to the point of passing his O.W.L. with an O. No one ever suspected that he had that in him. Not even Snape, who had highly – and unfairly – favored him like he did with all the Slytherins throughout his whole education. Whether it was sudden luck or a hidden raw talent, the fact remained that he was there attending a N.E.W.T. level Potions class.

Another great example of never judging a book by its cover.

Snape stood straight as a toothpick at the front of the class. “Today you will be brewing the Draught of Living Death. More powerful than its close relative, the Sleeping Draught, one drop of this potion is enough to send its drinker into a death-like sleep that can last indefinitely. Instructions are on the blackboard,” He flicked his wand and they appeared there. “And the required ingredients in the cupboard.” Said cupboard flew open. “You will soon find out how complex the concoction of this potion is, therefore I don’t except any of you to be successful in the task.”

He couldn’t be more right. It had to be one of the most difficult potions Evie had ever brewed in her life and for one hour and a half, she could clearly not afford to put her focus on anything else. As often happened, in the end her potion was the less bad-looking but was still far from meeting the expected outcomes, exactly like Snape had predicted it.

When the bell rang, as Evie complained to Doug about how messy her hair had gotten after such little time because of the potion fumes, they hadn’t taken two steps out of the classroom that they were already greeted by a group of fourth-year Slytherin girls who took ridiculous poses and all began to bat their lashes at the same time.

“Hello Jay.”  
  
“Looking good Jay!”  
  
“Jay, hey!”

Indeed, the boy was right behind them. He gave them one of his signature lady-killer smirks and winked, causing the girls to giggle foolishly.

“Wow, they really are desperate for your attention.” Evie nudged him with her shoulder.

Just like Uma, the relationship she had with Jay was friendly, but they weren’t friends. He asked her out once in their third year, she refused, but they still randomly talked to each other from time to time. It had a lot to do with Jay’s teasing and easygoing personality, the boy was chill under most circumstances, albeit he did give Chad Charming a well-deserved black eye once.

With a smirk, he put his arm around Evie’s shoulders as they started walking, “You sound a little jealous over there, Grimhilde. Are you reconsidering my offer to go on a date with me? The door’s still open.”

“I’ll still pass, thank you. However, I’d highly appreciate it if you could put your arm somewhere else, I’m receiving a lot of death glares from your admirers.”

But Jay left it there, “Let them stare. Admit it, we’d look good together. I mean, I am who I am and you’re kinda hot.”

“Excuse you!” Evie freed herself from his hold and turned to him, flipping her hair in fake offense. “I believe I qualify as a bit more than ‘kinda hot’.”

Jay laughed as yet another group of girls walked by and gave him googly eyes.

“Damn. They want you man,” Doug said. “Are you still going with your idea of not having a date so you can dance with all of them at the ball?”  
  
“Nah, that’s old news. I have my eye on someone now,” Jay said matter-of-factly.

Evie widened her eyes, impressed. “Really. Is she a part of your not-so-secret fan club?”

Jay scoffed, “Not at all. This one’s actually rude and doesn’t give a shit about me, that’s what I like about her.”

“Well, maybe she’s just not interested in you?” Doug suggested.  
  
“I’m not so sure about that.” Jay smirked.  
  
“And can we know who this mysterious badass is?” Evie said curiously.

Jay poked the tip of her nose, “That, sweetheart, is my business. You’ll see in time.”

On those words, he turned a corner and walked away from them with a confident step. The two Ravenclaws kept heading towards the greenhouses for their Herbology lesson.

“What kind of girl makes a player want to stop playing?” Doug said.  
  
“Well, when you think about it, most of the girls here drool over him but how many of them has he actually dated?” Evie pointed out.  
  
“Now that you mention it, not so much,” Doug agreed. “But he never had to chase them, had he?”  
  
“No, never. That girl must really be something else.”

* * *

Three days later, another piece of considerably worse news came to Uma’s knowledge, in the form of an envelope that fell right in her plate of scrambled eggs before the mail delivery at breakfast. She was about to curse every feather of the bird out when she recognized the old grey owl, swallowing the words back.

It was Jetsam, one of Ursula’s creepy twin owls. He shared with the other one, Flotsam, a pair of mismatched eyes that never failed to freak Uma out as a kid – Flotsam’s right eye was yellow while the left was brown, vice-versa for Jetsam. A duo of genetic abnormalities that she always despised, and even more now that they bullied Revenge at home and stole her food. But mostly because seeing one of them in Hogwarts was never a good sign.

Her mother only wrote when something bad had happened.

_Uma,_   
_ Thought I’d let you know before you read it in the press. The restaurant’s been trashed tonight. Same old story. Officers from the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol are here as I write. They said they won’t take long to trace it back to the bastards who did this, dumb amateurs didn’t do much to cover their tracks. But it’s actually bad, the place’s a wreck. It’s gonna take a while for us to get back in business._   
_ I’ll keep you updated._   
_ In the meantime, please don’t do anything stupid._   
_ Mom._

_PS: the old hag next door told me about that ball thing going on in Hogwarts. You need a dress?_

“What’s going on?” Harry asked, worried to see how his best friend’s expression suddenly darkened.

Uma read the letter again, disregarding the question. They’d done it again. The looks, whispers, and hate letters weren’t enough, they had to go and damage her and her mother’s properties because they happened to be related to a convicted mass murderer. It was the kind of stuff that made Uma purely and simply fly off the handle. Ursula and her didn’t roll in dough. Even though she hated the job, Uma still acknowledged that the restaurant was her family’s livelihood, she saw her mother put her blood, sweat and tears to make the place work and give them a decent life. It was just so, _so_ unfair that they still had to pay for the dark witch’s crimes while the latter was rotting in prison.

“My mother’s restaurant has been vandalized.” Uma grumbled without looking up.

“What? Again?” Harry said, genuinely shocked. “Is it the—”  
  
“The same assholes who swore to make _our_ lives miserable because of my psycho aunt’s doings? Yeah, them!” Uma spat angrily.

She wouldn’t usually snap at him like that and Harry knew it, which was why he didn’t hold it against her. He knew how she hated the whole world right now. Literally.

“And it’s gonna be in the paper so every damn person in this school will know. Fucking hell.”

Sure enough, the vandalizing of _Ursula’s Fish & Chips_ was featured in the day’s issue of the _Daily Prophet_ that most of the people received a few minutes later.

“Hey Uma,” Freddie Facilier called from where she was sitting somewhere on Uma’s left. Her newspaper was spread out on the table. “It says here that your mom’s restaurant was vandalized last night.”

Fuming, Uma abruptly tossed her fork in front of her, grabbed her bag and stormed out of the Great Hall leaving the half of her food untouched, and a puzzled Freddie behind. Harry muttered a quick ‘sorry’ to the girl before chasing after his turquoise haired best friend to make sure she wouldn’t end up stabbing an innocent kid’s eye with her quill (that’s how mad she was). A tough job, if he did say so himself.

Unfortunately for them both, Freddie wouldn’t be the only one rehashing the story.

“Everything okay back home, Shrimpy?”

And _of course_, leave it to Mal Dracorys to add salt to the wound when literally not a single soul asked for her opinion, especially when she knew she’d hit a nerve. The Gryffindor blonde was approaching the Potions classroom surrounded by Ben and Lonnie (weirdly she remembered her name now, not that it mattered though) with her smug sneer firmly in place. Uma felt her blood boil and she was very grateful that Harry had a tight grip on the back of her forearm in attempt to help her keep her cool – it was a very long shot honestly, but for some odd reason it seemed to be working.

“I wish I could have seen that. You know what, I really hope they catch whoever did this to your so-called ‘restaurant’.”  
  
“I know it’s hard but ignore her,” Harry said in a very low voice when he saw Uma take a deep angry breath.

But Mal wasn’t done and seemed pretty proud of the reaction she was getting out of the two Slytherins. “I wanna send them flowers.”

“Are you really sure you wanna try me right now?” Uma growled, fists clenched, escaping Harry’s grasp as she got into Mal’s personal space.

Mal lifted her chin and sassed, “And what are you gonna do. Throw fish at me?”

“Mal, I think that’s enough,” Ben intervened warningly.

The small audience of students around them gasped and murmured worriedly. They all remembered how fast things got out of hands the last time the two got into a significant fight.

“You and I both know I can do so much worse than that,” Uma retorted, menacing.

She was right.

See, everybody knew Uma hated Mal. And everybody knew Mal hated Uma.

Though not everybody knew the exact reason why they hated each other’s guts – they weren’t all around when it started – they all knew it went far beyond the classic Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry. And like all rivals, they ended up fighting, for real. In their fourth year.

  *  **Flashback**

_It was in the middle of March, on a Saturday afternoon, by a surprisingly clear spring weather. Fresh, but bright enough for a majority of the students to spend their free time outside. Not so bright? Uma’s mood. She was upset – okay, pissed – about something that had happened with Professor Snape in Potions class, something that might severely affect her final grade. Needless to say she was to be handled very carefully that day. Harry and Gil knew that. Carlos as well._

_So did Mal._

_Except she didn’t care. See, she happened to know all about it and saw a chance to taunt her nemesis. Rubbed the knife in the wound, saying all the things Uma neither wanted nor needed to hear. That day, she had _Shrimpy_’d her one too many times._

_A big, big mistake._

_“This is it,” Uma growled, her hand reaching inside her robes for her wand. “I’ve had enough of your bullshit.”_   
  
_ “What the hell are you doing?” Mal looked her up and down._   
  
_ “Dueling you. Let’s settle this once and for all. Unless you’re too much of a coward to put your wand where your mouth is.”_

_Mal glared at her for a second before she responded, defiantly, “I am not scared of you, Shrimpy.” She pulled out her wand. “You’re on.”_

_Ben and Mal had already started dating at the time, therefore he was the first to try and stop her, “Mal, this is a very bad idea.”_

_“Ben please, stay out of this,” she dismissed him, her eyes never leaving Uma._   
  
_ “For once I have to agree, Beasty boy,” said girl added._

_They stepped a bit further apart, completely disregarding the rule that said duelers had to salute each other. A crowd of curious students began to gather around them. The two Hogwarts legendary rivals were about to duel, for Merlin’s sake!_

_“This is going to be_ very_ interesting,” Harry muttered in Gil’s ear._  
  
_ “I don’t know, I have a bad feeling about this,” Gil replied worriedly._  
  
_ “Me too,” Carlos agreed, crossing his arms. “Uma looks furious.” (She was.) “Do you think we should tell someone?”_  
  
_ “Don’t you dare.” Harry shot him a menacing look._

_And dare they didn’t. Deep down, they all knew better than to try and put themselves between the two young witches. The air was too tense, it would be like trying to prevent a storm from occurring. With Uma being thunder and lightning and Mal being wind and rain._

_“Let’s make this a no holds barred,” Uma shouted, raising her wand in offensive position._   
  
_ “Gladly.” Mal did the same. “As if you’d respect the rules anyway.”_   
  
_ “You got that one fact right. On three.”_

_The first spell was shouted at ‘two’._

_“_Rictusempra_!”_

_Maybe Uma wasn’t the only one not playing by the rules after all. The Slytherin girl was hit right in her stomach. She doubled over, bursting out in a violent fit of laughter that made her look like a maniac with her current state of anger. Mal smirked and got ready to strike again, but Uma managed to control herself long enough to cast her next jinx._

_“_Impedimenta_!” Mal’s feet stopped moving, she tripped over but caught herself just in time. Which allowed her to strike back._

_“_Expelliarmus_!” Uma’s wand flew high in the air and landed a few feet further. She ran and dove to grab it back and luckily dodged Mal’s next spell._

_It went back and forth like this for a while – really it was six minutes, but in the heat of the action it seemed like hours – and it turned out Mal was a better dueler than Uma, for the blonde often had the upper hand but Uma was holding on. At some point, Evie pushed her way through the crowd._

_“Whoa guys, what’s going on? Mal what are you doing!?” Panicked, she turned to Ben who was still watching, helpless. “How did that start?”._   
  
_ “Like it always starts,” the Gryffindor boy sighed._   
  
_ “Guys stop it, stop!” Evie screamed._

_She might’ve been more successful talking to a tree. But as a prefect, it was her duty to stop this. She had drawn her own wand, ready to hit the both of them with a Freezing Charm, when the unexpected happened._

_“_Lacertifors_!”_

_BANG!_

_The air seemed to freeze. Evie shrieked and covered her mouth with both hands. Ben jumped forward calling Mal’s name, Lonnie held him back by tightly gripping his arm, a hand to her chest. Harry and Gil, on the contrary, stepped back from the scene in shock. Carlos looked very pale. Every single person witnessing this was holding their breath._

_“I told you I had a bad feeling about this!” Gil hissed almost inaudibly._

_At first it seemed like Mal had vanished into thin air – that was what everyone thought. Because she wasn’t _there_ anymore. But looking closely, on the ground could be seen a tiny green lizard next to a wand, on the exact spot where Mal previously stood._

_Uma’s wand was still out and pointing in that very direction. She was breathing heavily, nostrils flared, her whole body was shaking with fury and her eyes were glowing with a madness that no one, not even Harry, had ever seen in her. The people present could all agree on the fact that she looked like she was out for the kill. No one had the courage to say it out loud, but everyone thought it._

_She looked like the picture of Morgana taken on the day she was sent to Azkaban. Demented and heartless._

_She looked evil._

_“_Wingardium Leviosa_.” The lizard started rising away from the ground until it was a bit above Uma’s eye level. The Slytherin girl then let out an icy, humorless laugh as she slowly walked forward, admiring her work, “You don’t look so smart now, huh. What do you say Mal, are we done here?” She stood mere inches away from the lizard and picked up the wand. “Because I could hurt you—”_

_“What on_ Earth_ is happening here?” The voice of Professor McGonagall bellowed behind them._

_She was walking really fast – nearly running – to the scene, the crowd splitting to let her through like Moses did the Red Sea. At the sight, Uma froze and the lizard fell back on the ground._

_“What is the meaning of all of this? Explain yourselves!” But no one spoke. No one could. Everyone was looking from Uma, to McGonagall, to the lizard on the floor, so eventually she did, too. “Oh my— Is that a student?”_

_Still unable to make out a proper response, Uma lowered her wand completely and stepped aside. McGonagall gasped, pulled out her own wand and flicked it. With a snapping sound, Mal reappeared, lying on the floor with her hair all over the place and a frightened look on her face. Ben rushed over to help her to her feet._

_The tip of Professor McGonagall’s wand went back and forth between Mal and Uma. “You two, follow me. Now.”_

  * **End of flashback**

“And you and I both know that if you actually do that, the only thing you’ll earn is a one-way ticket back to London. But that can be a good thing, can’t it? That way you can help mommy dearest put the family fishery back on its feet.” Mal crossed her arms, pouting mockingly. “And I’ll have to take five points from Slytherin for that threat.”

“You little—”

Harry jumped forward in time to grab her shoulder, while throwing Mal a deadly look. “Uma, don’t.”

“See? Even your little lapdog knows better than picking up a fight with me.”  
  
“Call Harry a lapdog one more time.”  
  
“What is this nonsense?”

The voice startled everyone. Snape was standing by the door of his classroom, watching the exchange with a deep displeased frown distorting his face.

Uma was the one who replied, “Nothing, sir.”

“From where I stand, it looks like the newest prefect is taking great delight in tormenting my students.” Snape said coldly, his dark eyes fixed upon Mal. “Five points from Gryffindor.”

Uma smirked. Though Snape was always unfair when it came to docking points from Houses other than his, it was the second time she was favored by a teacher after a confrontation with Mal.

  *  **Flashback**

_The girls followed Professor McGonagall to the Transfiguration classroom. The older woman, still walking very fast, went in front of her desk and stood there. She was on a small platform, making herself a few inches taller. Her expression was one angry one. Neither Mal nor Uma dared to look her in the eyes._

_“Miss Triskelion, please give Miss Dracorys her wand back.”_

_Mal snatched it from Uma’s hand._

_“I do not care about this absurd feud between the two of you. No magic of any kind is to be performed outside of designated study areas. Unsupervised dueling is strictly forbidden. Fighting is also prohibited. Not to mention all the things that could have gone wrong with the spell you used on Miss Dracorys! I am very disappointed. I cannot condone this kind of behavior, especially coming from a Gryffindor student.”_

_Mal’s head sunk in shame._

_“I take fifty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin.”_

_The girls gasped in unison, “What?”_

_“You will both serve detention and will be stripped of your Hogsmeade privilege for the next weekend. I will also write to your families.”_   
  
_ “No, please Professor McGonagall, my mother can’t know about this!” Mal pleaded. She sounded panicked._   
  
_ “She can and she will, Miss Dracorys. Perhaps that will give you a good reason to think of more mature ways to settle your disputes in the future. Now go back to your common room.”_

_After giving each other one last dirty look, the girls turned to leave. “Not you, Miss Triskelion. I need to have a word with you.”_

_Uma winced._ Shit._ That couldn't be good. The sneer Mal gave her before she finally left the room didn’t help easing her mind. Professor McGonagall swiftly flicked her wand towards the door before she spoke again._

_“Tell me where you learned that spell,” she ordered._   
  
_ “I—I read about it in a book.”_   
  
_ “Have you ever used it before?”_   
  
_ “No, Professor. It was the first time.”_   
  
_ “You foolish girl. You do realize that you could have hurt Miss Dracorys really badly if by some misfortune you happened to have performed it poorly, she could have been stuck in a reptilian form.”_

Now that would’ve been funny_, Uma thought. But obviously she couldn’t say that. “Yes Professor.”_

_Professor McGonagall sighed._

_“I have to say Miss Triskelion that, beyond the extreme recklessness of your act, I am deeply impressed by your skills.”_

_Uma raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Did she hear that correctly?_

_“Never, in my whole career of teaching Transfiguration, have I ever seen a full human transformation executed so flawlessly by a fourteen-year-old student.” The older woman continued. “I knew you were talented, but this goes beyond all my expectations. This is very advanced magic, Miss Triskelion. Very advanced.” The ghost of a smile appeared on her thin lips. “Five points will be granted to Slytherin.”_

_Uma was utterly dumbfounded, “What, thank—”_

_“Don’t thank me. I shall still see Professor Snape about your behavior.”_

Ouch._ “Yes Professor.”_

_“One last thing. I hope I can rely on your discretion regarding this conversation. I don’t need the whole school to know that I rewarded you when you just broke a major rule.”_   
  
_ “Of course. I won’t tell.”_

_She’ll definitely tell Harry._

_“Good. You may go.”_

_She didn’t need to be told twice. This whole situation had taken an unexpected turn and she literally wanted to jump. Detention was the last thing she was worried about – she’s had them before, no big deal – and even the thought of McGonagall writing to her mother didn’t seem as scary. She felt triumphant: she had been praised for breaking the rules, by McGonagall out of all people. She had lost less points than Mal. She had beaten Mal!_

_Uma walked out of the classroom and nearly bumped into said girl, who obviously had been trying to eavesdrop, but hadn’t been able to (Uma understood now) because of the Muffliato Charm cast by Professor McGonagall before she started talking._

_This woman was smart._

_So Mal knew nothing about what had just happened. And she looked so pissed that Uma had a very hard time not to gloat._

_“I really hope you get expelled for that.” Mal snarled._

_Uma rolled her eyes. “Oh please Dragon face, we both broke the same rules. If I get expelled, so do you.”_

_Mal came so close that their foreheads could almost touch. “I didn’t put your life in danger,” she said through gritted teeth._

_“Neither did I. You’re here in one piece, aren’t you?”_   
  
_ “You’re fucking crazy!”_   
  
_ “And you’re a bitch! But now you’ve seen what I’m capable of. Try me like this again and I’ll turn you into a real one.”_

_The look on Mal’s face at this moment made her decide that it was best to walk away before she bursted out laughing in front of her._

  * **End of flashback**

Unimpressed by the outraged look on the blonde’s face and the low protests of the other Gryffindor students, Snape stepped aside silently giving everybody the order to get inside and settle down.

“Looks like _once again_ you chose the wrong place and time to mess with me,” Uma whispered through gritted teeth to a pissed-off Mal before she filed into the classroom behind Harry.

That little victory might have had lifted her spirits for a short second, it didn’t change the fact that she was highly irritated and it unfortunately didn’t get any better as the day went on. She had even forgotten that Ursula said something about a dress for the ball.

* * *

As a prefect, Evie had a duty to patrol the hallways every so often to make sure no other student was out of their common rooms after curfew. At fifteen to ten, she left the table where Doug and her had been doing their homework for the past two hours and quickly swung by her dormitory to drop her school bag, only to notice the little parcel sitting on her nightstand, on the exact same spot where she had left it the night prior.

“Oh, Merlin’s sake!” she groaned, grabbing it.  
  
“What?” two of her dorm mates, Bree and Isabelle, looked up from whatever they were doing on their beds and spoke at the same time.  
  
“My stepsister’s birthday is tomorrow and I forgot to send her gift. I have to make a run for the Owlery before my patrol.”  
  
“Can’t it just wait tomorrow?” Isabelle asked.  
  
“I was already supposed to do it after lunch. I’ll just go. See you later.”

Parcel in hand, she left the Ravenclaw Tower and ventured into the candle lit corridors to the Owlery. Offhand, they all looked completely deserted and Evie sighed of relief. Her patrol will be short and she’ll be in bed in no time.

Oddly, the Owlery door was open when she arrived there. The brunette could already feel the cold draft coming from the room, making her shiver, but her body froze when she saw a familiar cascade of aqua blue braids facing the entrance.

_Crap,_ Evie thought, biting her bottom lip nervously.

Up to this day she had been doing a pretty good job at avoiding Uma, ignoring her last letters and dodging direct contact. Yet here she was, _coincidentally_ in the Owlery at this precise moment, and of course, alone. Like, what were the odds? Some would call that karma.

For a second Evie thought of turning back before the other girl noticed her presence, to pretend she was never there and come back later, but then she’d be a bad prefect because even if it was Uma, she wasn’t supposed to be wandering around the castle at this time of the night. Plus, she really had to send this parcel.

Before she could make any decision, Uma moved around with her owl perched on her forearm and saw Evie standing there motionless. The Slytherin girl had a sullen expression on her face, she didn’t even crack a smile.

_Well, can’t back out now, can I._

Evie took careful steps inside the Owlery – the floor was covered in owl droppings and small skeletons; it was gross – until she stood in the middle of the little circular room.

“What are you doing here so late?” she asked softly to break the ice.  
  
“Sending mail I guess? Relax, I’m not gonna stay out after curfew,” Uma answered. It wasn’t even said in a sassy or sarcastic kind of way. She sounded drained.

Uma walked to one of the many glassless windows, stroking Revenge’s back feathers gently. “Bring this to my mom. And don’t let Flotsam and Jetsam bother you,” she said to her owl before holding her arm out, giving the bird space to take off.

She stayed at the window watching as Revenge flew away in the cloudy night sky and Evie saw her shoulders slouch.

“I heard about what happened. Your mom’s restaurant, and what Mal said. I’m sorry.”

If anything, Evie was certainly not ready for the look on Uma’s face when she finally turned to face her. She had seen the girl sulk before. She had seen her upset, livid, even. But now, well. More than just plain anger, what transpired from her was an expression of profound tiredness and defeat, almost. The thing that shocked Evie the most was to realize that Uma had been crying. Her eyes were slightly red and she could still see the little faint lines her tears had left on her cheeks. As stupid as it sounded, the Ravenclaw brunette had never really imagined that Uma could even be sad about things, let alone cry. It felt like a punch in the guts.

“No need to apologize.” Uma rolled her eyes. “It’s not your fault that my aunt killed people and your best friend’s a fucking—” She stopped mid-sentence seeing Evie nod with her lips pursed, then mumbled “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Evie sighed. “I know how you two feel about each other. Is your mom going to be okay?”

Uma looked at her with an eyebrow raised, as if surprised to see her care so much. Then she looked away and snorted loudly – in a way that would make Regina Grimhilde scream in indignation – her eyes blinking furiously, and Evie could tell she was fighting back more tears.

“She said it’ll take some time to refloat the shop, but yes, she will,” she responded in an ever so slightly shaky voice.  
  
“It’s horrible that someone would even do something like that.”

The Slytherin girl shook her head, “It happens more often than you’d think.”

By the way she saw her top lip tremble, Evie thought she was about to snap. Well she thought wrong. When Uma spoke again, it was in a low, weary tone, with a heavy sigh.

“I just wish people would stop taking their anger and grief out on me and my mother. We try to move past all the hate we get but deep down it’s… it’s exhausting.”

Uma’s chocolate eyes met hers, hurt visible in them. “We never had _anything_ to do with Morgana. Mom and her never got along even as kids. I only saw her once when I was about six, she came to our house saying that You-Know-Who would be willing to forgive Mom for having a child with a Muggle if she joined his troupes. As a _family favor_.” Uma made a disgusted face. “Mom basically threw her out. Then we heard about the first murders and for three years I lived in fear that her or the Death Eaters, or even _him…_ would come back for us.”

Evie let out a tiny horrified noise.

“It’s just so fucking unfair. Our family may have had history with the Dark Arts before but my mom got away from it as soon as she could. Not saying she’s perfect; she’s harsh, short-tempered and she definitely got issues but she’d never… she’s not evil. And neither am I, even though sometimes I...”

Seeing Uma so distraught and hearing these confessions made Evie realize that she might probably be the only one, besides Harry Hook, to see that vulnerable side of her (little did she know, she actually got that right). It warmed and stung her heart at the same time. She felt like a terrible friend, assuming Uma didn’t have any insecurities just because she had never talked about them before. To her anyway. This encounter was purely accidental yet Uma was venting, because she was a human being too – well, at least, seven-eighths of her – and there was only so much she could take. How could Evie have thought for one second that pushing the girl away was the right thing to do. It was selfish and she truly regretted it.

If she had been with any other of her friends though, by now Evie would have given them her signature ‘feel better’ bear-like hug. But with Uma it was different. One, she had been reminded many times before that the other girl wasn’t too fond of hugging, plus she was overwrought so she probably wouldn’t take it very well. And two, she would sure feel how fast Evie’s heart was beating at the moment. Thus Evie wondered how she would react if she reached for her hand instead.

With a little head tilt, Evie decided to risk it. She slowly wrapped her fingers around Uma’s smaller hand. She felt Uma tense for a second, but the blue haired girl didn’t pull back, she just took a sharp breath and looked down.

It suddenly dawned on Evie that this was the first time she intentionally and lengthily touched Uma – not just slight brushing to give her something or through clothes on the rare times they hugged – and she found herself amazed at how her skin felt even after a long day of class, flawless and of an enchanting softness. Both of their hands were cold due to the November air and them not wearing gloves but the brunette’s were much colder for some reason, she happily welcomed the way the slight warmth emanating from Uma’s skin spread through her own. Tentatively, she gave her hand a small squeeze and to her delight, Uma squeezed back.

“No, you’re not evil,” Evie whispered after a minute. “I won’t lie, you’re short-tempered too, and you also have issues. Though they are _definitely_ not on your skin.” She couldn’t help herself, it had to be said because _holy mirrors_, now that she had seen it she couldn’t disregard it. This girl really made all her skin care products look like a joke. Uma scoffed in a I-would’ve-laughed-but-I’m-not-in-the-mood type of way at that, but still it made Evie smile. She continued. “But you _are_ a good person, who just had the misfortune to have been born in a messed up family. And I know, people judge without knowing, but that’s honestly their loss because they’re missing out on something, trust me.”

“I take it you won’t try to set my stuff on fire?” Uma looked up hesitantly.  
  
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

At the enunciation of the word ‘dream’, reality caught up to her and Evie suddenly became aware of how close their bodies stood. The white breath escaping Uma’s mouth every time she exhaled or spoke was caressing her face, that same mouth that was about to kiss her in the marble castle of her dream.

“_Why were you kissing her?_”  
  
“_B-because I l-like her…_”

Evie began to feel uneasy, swallowing a rather big lump down her throat. Her eyes darted away from the Slytherin girl, who looked unbearably beautiful and sad under that moonlight peering inside the chilly Owlery.

“_No you don’t. You can’t do things like this. It’s wrong! You hear me? Very wrong!_”  
  
“_But I d-don’t underst-tand… wh-why?_”

_WHAP!_

She slowly loosened her grip on Uma’s hand and let it go, immediately missing the feeling in spite of herself.

Uma seemed to notice the change in her friend’s behavior, took a step back from her and cleared her throat.

“Anyway, hum, I should go. You obviously came here for something and I’m holding you back,” she said, wiping her palms on her the back of her robes. “Not to mention curfew’s in like five minutes and I don’t wanna get in trouble.”  
  
“Oh… yeah. I mean, n-no, you’re not holding me back.” _Great. Now you’re stuttering. Get a grip Evie!_ She held her little parcel up. “I just have to ship this over to my stepsister. Her birthday is tomorrow.”

Now why did she give that explanation, she wouldn’t know. But upon hearing it Uma narrowed her eyes in thought, tilting her head. “Two days before yours, how coincidental.”

The words left Evie’s mouth before she could control them, “You remember that.”

“Why is that so surprising?”

That situation sounded way too familiar, the brunette wouldn’t take the risk to offend Uma for real this time since she was clearly not in the joking mood. She tiptoed with her answer. “I-I don’t know, I only mentioned it to you like once.”

Thankfully, the other girl remained perfectly calm, only quirked an eyebrow and asked, “Is that a way to tell me you don’t remember when mine is?”

But thankfully, Evie did remember. “I do! It’s the twenty-fifth of April.”

“And I only mentioned it once. You need to stop underestimating my memory so much, Princess.”

_Ughh._ There goes that chill again. Evie tried her best to ignore it and smirked it away, playing along nonetheless, “My apologies, Captain. I’ll remember that in the future.”

“Hmm hmm.” Uma stared at her, her eyes traveling down then back up – didn’t help with the chills at all – and she clicked her tongue. “Well. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

She began to head out. Evie approached a large barn owl who fortunately wasn’t asleep.

“Evie?” Uma called unexpectedly from the doorway.

The brunette turned around, “Yes?”

Uma gave her a tiny but genuine smile, “Thank you. I needed that.”

Evie only smiled back at her. She knew it was enough. Within the next seconds, she was gone and Evie finally sent her stepsister’s gift.

Patrolling the empty hallways gave the brunette all the time to get lost in her thoughts. Other than the fact that she was, with full objectivity, really good at comforting people, that little moment made her acknowledge something important. Uma trusted her. She _actually_ trusted Evie enough to open up to her and seek comfort with her, and she almost blew that because of her own confused feelings. Her insides fluttered at the thought.

Deliberately ignoring Uma wasn’t the solution and Evie didn’t want to have to do it again.

On a happier note, the first Quidditch match of the season would be held on the upcoming Saturday, Ravenclaw was playing against Hufflepuff. And her birthday was the day after!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that spell that Uma used is totally made up by me (I mean I think. I know I didn't copy it). The Lacertidae are the family of common wall lizards found in Europe. So from now on, "Lacertifors" is a spell that turns things (and people apparently) into lizards. 
> 
> Thanks for the love!


	5. The Captain and the Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorryyyyy I took longer to update this time. Can you tell I'm back to school? Plus for some reason I kinda struggled to put some of my ideas into words for this chapter so it might show. 
> 
> Anyway. It's here now. 
> 
> My Umvie shippers, where you at? Tea is servedT!

When Evie first heard about Quidditch, she never expected that she’d end up being so into it. Growing up with her mother hadn’t really instilled in her the love for sport if it wasn’t for aesthetic purposes (“_You must always watch out for your weight dearest. Aim for a size eight or even lower. See, there’s nothing more unattractive than fat rolls and double chins._”). Before Hogwarts, Evie had never experienced sport on a passionate level. She didn’t know what it was to root fervently for a team. She was completely new to the euphoria and tensions surrounding a competition, to the games that were nothing more than the best kind of nerve-wrecking emotional roller coasters. To the bliss provided by a victory and the heartbreak brought by a loss. She was never interested in playing, but she quickly became one of the fiercest members of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team by the way she supported them.

Though they had never won the cup in all five years that she had been here – beating the Slytherins had gotten a lot harder since Jay made it to their team – she always wore the colors of Rowena Ravenclaw with an unmatched pride, feeling hopeful that one day, victory will smile upon them.

There were only two girls on the team and one of them was her fellow sixth-year Bree Martin, Chaser, who was sounding pretty confident on the morning of their first match.

“We’ve been working on some new techniques, plus Malcolm–” (their Keeper). “–has gotten a _lot_ better. He stops almost all of Simon’s shots.” (Simon Colten being their best Chaser). “The Hufflepuffs don’t stand a chance.”

Now those were words Evie loved to hear. The two teams were quite even in terms of victories and defeats. Last year, Ravenclaw had lost to Hufflepuff but the year before, they had won. The outcome of this game was consequently unpredictable, but she was still looking forward to it.

In the common room, herself, Doug, and a bunch of other students thrillingly let Dizzy Tremaine and her group of friends paint little blue and bronze flags on their cheeks and/or foreheads, fully putting themselves in full Quidditch mode. Evie was excited like a flea, cheering all the players as she caught them before they left to go warm up.

“Wow. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re the captain of this team and not me.”

Evie turned to see the seventh-year Adrian Jones, Seeker and captain of the Ravenclaw team, walking up to her with a playful smile. He was already in his Quidditch robes.

“Why is that?” she asked him, returning the smile and leaning casually against the wall.  
  
“Your motivation speeches are a lot better than mine,” Adrian said.

Evie felt herself blushing a little. She _may or may not_ have had a huge crush on him in fourth year. After puberty hit him pretty hard at the age of fourteen, Adrian had turn into a godly handsome young man, his eyes were a unique, beautiful amber color, his hair a mess of medium length dirty blonde curls and a neatly trimmed mustache and stubble on his chiseled jaw and narrow chin. His popularity with girls was easily comparable to Jay’s, though Adrian was less of a flirt and a lot more discreet.

“They weren’t speeches, just, I don’t know. A few words of encouragement. I really want us to win,” Evie said while she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Don’t we all?” He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head interrogatively. “But I know what you mean. It’s important that they’re in a great spirit.”  
  
“And how are _you_ feeling?”

Adrian ran a hand through his hair and breathed out. “A little stressed, like every time I guess. But mostly optimistic. We’ve trained hard, our new strategies are on point, and so far the weather’s offering good flying conditions.”

“So we have no reason to lose,” Evie stated.  
  
“No, we don’t. Especially when we have amazing supporters like you behind us.” The older boy leaned his shoulder against the wall as well. “I’ve always liked what you were doing.”

The brunette let out a nervous chuckle at the sudden proximity and the change of his tone, “Yep, that’s me. Always here to lift the spirits!”

“I’ll be looking for you in the stands then.”

_What now?_ The blush reached Evie’s cheeks again. “Shouldn’t you be looking for the Snitch instead?”

With a smirk, Adrian leaned forward and said, “I can do both.”

He then winked, and walked out of the common room. As Evie stared towards the exit unsure of how to deal with what just occurred, Audrey and Doug sneaked up next to her and the other brunette elbowed her gently. She had her mouth open in utter amazement.

“Did I hallucinate or did Adrian Jones just openly flirt with you?”  
  
“I think you hallucinated.” Evie tried to sound assured although she knew it was a lie. “Hold on. How could you have— Were you two eavesdropping?”  
  
“Girl, it looked steamy over here so we had to come over and check, right Doug?”  
  
“Exactly,” Doug agreed with Audrey. “And we were right. So you and Adrian huh?”  
  
“There’s nothing going on here.”  
  
“But there could be!” Audrey beamed. “He was totally flirting with you.”  
  
“No, he wasn’t.”  
  
“Eve, we couldn’t both have been hallucinating that,” Doug said.

Audrey put one of her hands on Evie’s shoulder. “Trust me hon. I know a flirt when I see one.”

Evie glared at her unimpressed, refraining herself from sassing severely. Didn’t Audrey know she _knew_ that already? Was Audrey forgetting _who_ she was? (Well she never really knew but who cared). She, Evie Grimhilde, only daughter of the queen of seduction Regina Grimhilde, could also _perfectly_ tell when someone was flirting.

However, at the moment it was more convenient to pretend that it hadn’t happened.

“Don’t be silly. Adrian has a girlfriend and you know how faithful he is,” she argued.

He was in a long distance relationship with a girl from his hometown who was homeschooled, whom he spent every Christmas and every summer with. To the chagrin of many, he never gave any girl in Hogwarts any specific attention. Until now.

The younger Ravenclaw girl shrugged, fixing her ponytail, “Well, word is that they broke up.”

“You know I don’t believe in this kind of rumors,” Evie rolled her eyes. “Did he explicitly say that?”  
  
“No. But he hasn’t denied it either!” she added quickly before Evie could protest (and by Merlin, did she want to). “Holy spindles. Maybe he’ll ask you to be his date to the Millennial Ball!”  
  
“No I don’t think so.”  
  
“What’s the big deal Evie? You used to have the biggest crush on him, now is your chance! What changed?” Doug asked curiously.

_Hm. Where to start._

There was a time in her life when she would have been ecstatic if a boy like Adrian Jones took an interest in her. The guy appeared to have it all: the looks, the charisma, the brains, a professional Seeker career all mapped up, and all those other little things that made him fit perfectly in the ‘perfect son-in-law’ frame her mother had always drawn – and was still drawing – to her (and she knew that for a fact because Regina had told her that herself when Evie told her about him). The woman hadn’t even been fazed by the fact that he was in a relationship, telling Evie what she’d been repeating her her whole life: her beauty and charms were her best assets to have any man wrapped around her finger, girlfriend or not. How _dared_ she miss the opportunity to date the perfect guy for the sake of another girl who was most certainly less pretty.

What changed was that life had taught her another relevant lesson: in the harsh complexity of existence, and especially when it came to people, perfection was a self-made delusion. Evie didn’t want the ‘perfect guy’, because the ‘perfect guy’ didn’t exist. Her interest in Adrian had drastically weakened ever since.

What changed was that lately she had only been thinking about that one person who wasn’t even a guy on top of being her best friend’s rival, confusing her mind, shaking her inner peace, trapping her in a corner within herself because of beliefs that weren’t even hers in the first place. Evie didn’t know what to believe anymore. She was troubled by her own feelings; she didn’t know what to do.

But how could she express all of that out loud.

“I grew up,” was what she settled for. “Now can we go get breakfast? We have a match to win.”

To her relief, the other two dropped the issue and they all went down to the Great Hall, Quidditch coming back to being the main topic. They ate quite fast, agreeing on the fact that they wanted good seats in the stands for the first match of their team. As they began to make their way to the Quidditch pitch, Evie turned a different corner.

“Bathroom. Save me a seat!”

She hurried to the nearest bathroom – more because of her eagerness to get to the pitch than an urgent need – and_ who_ did she find there washing her hands at the sink?

Yes, that one exactly. Nervousness bit at Evie’s guts.

“Oh, hey! How are—” she said with a surprisingly convincing enthusiasm, but suddenly realized where they were and clasped her hands to her mouth. “Oh crap.”

Uma gave her a little reassuring smile, “Relax, there’s no one here.”

Evie’s arms dropped with a relieved chuckle, taking a good look at the Slytherin girl in the meantime. Uma had arranged her long braids into a big bun on the top of her head, her green and silver scarf was wrapped loosely around her neck and a pair of gloves was tucked under her arm as she dried her hands. She looked less distressed than she did two days prior, to Evie’s relief, although her face still reflected a preoccupied look.

“Are you alright?” Evie asked earnestly.

Uma sighed, “I’m… okay, I suppose. I mean, I put up with it the best I can ‘cause you know, I just have to. There’s nothing I can do to help Mom from here so…” She shrugged.

“And how is she holding up?”  
  
“She’s still a little overwhelmed, for once she wishes I was there,” Uma said, a bittersweet grimace creeping up her face. “Some neighbors are helping her though.”  
  
“Really, that’s great!”  
  
“Yeah. I guess not everybody hates us after all.”

Inherently it was good news, but at the same time it sounded so sad that Evie didn’t know how to respond. Fortunately, Uma changed the subject.

“I see you’re ready to play,” the Slytherin girl pointed out with a hint of playful sarcasm in her voice.  
  
“You mean ready to _win_,” Evie replied, sticking the tip of her tongue between her teeth in a provocative manner.

Uma scoffed while putting her hand on her hip. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that if I were you. I’ve seen the boys train, the Hufflepuffs got this.”

Evie’s lips curved into a slight sneer. Oh boy, Uma knew _exactly_ what she was doing, purposely tickling her competitiveness for the mere pleasure of messing with her because, well, she was Uma. The smug teasing smirk on her face was proof of that. And the worst part was, it was working.

“Then it’ll just make our victory even more meritorious and satisfactory,” Evie retorted in a soft but sassy tone.  
  
“You really believe you guys got it covered, don’t you.”  
  
“I know we do. It’s not too late for you to switch and get on the winning team you know.”

Uma clicked her tongue as she shook her head. “Nuh-huh. Too much arrogance here Princess, it’s not cute.”

“I’m not being arrogant, just stating facts.” Evie put her hands up defensively. “Besides, with that hair color you really look like you’re supporting Ravenclaw so why not.”

Uma raised her eyebrows. “You wish, huh. Sorry. If I recall, two of my best friends still play for the other team.”

“Am I not your friend, too?”

“Yes, you are,” Uma smirked a bit more… suggestively than before, maybe (could she, could she really?). Evie’s heart rate speeded, she almost regretted asking that question. The Slytherin girl approached her slowly and stopped right next to her, their clothed arms brushing against one another when Uma slightly rose on her tiptoes and said in a much lower and huskier voice in Evie’s ear, “But if you want me to root for your team over theirs I’m gonna need a bit more than that.”

_Holy poisoned apples._

Did she just...? Was that...?

Satisfied with her little stunt, Uma grinned. “I’ll see you later.”

She made her way out and Evie released a shaky breath she wasn’t even aware of holding. If felt hot in here all of a sudden. _Oh hell no_. She refused to let her walk away like this without striking back.

“For the record,” she called out confidently before the turquoise haired girl could open the door. “I’m always cute.”  
  
“I know.”

_Boom_.

Uma left the bathroom, leaving Evie standing there all flustered. That little game had backfired pretty sharply. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and Merlin’s beard, her cheeks had turned… _Oh hell no!_ Crimson.

And they probably have been for a while. Which meant that Uma probably saw that. Which was highly embarrassing. That was two different people making her blush within two hours, something wasn’t right with her today. Although, she clearly could’ve done without Adrian. Weirdly, she began to wonder if he’d have the nerve to do what Audrey said and ask her out to the Millennial Ball (just like the five other guys who had already tried and got themselves a no).

She wondered if Uma had a date to the ball yet, and found herself wishing that she didn’t. They danced so beautifully together in the marble castle…

_Ugh_. Now was _not_ the time to think about this. Shaking the thoughts out, Evie decided to put her focus back on Quidditch, did what she came here to do and got out.

Evie exited the castle and joined her fellow Ravenclaws in the stands of the Quidditch pitch. As agreed, Doug had saved her a seat and even an extra pair of binoculars that she used to take a look around the stands. There were only ten minutes left before the beginning of the game, but with no surprise the whole school was gathered and ready. The Gryffindors and Slytherins were just as impatient, for they, of course, would also be playing against both teams later in the year. She spotted Mal, Ben and Lonnie on one side, and Uma directly opposite her, easily distinguishable as the only blue dot in a sea of black, green and silver. Albus Dumbledore and all the professors were settled as well in the higher ‘official’ stands, all as eager as the students for the game to start. In particular, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout both looked extremely determined to see their Houses win, although they were still talking to one another with a decent disguise of sportsmanship.

The crowd erupted in cheers and screams as the Hufflepuff, then Ravenclaw teams entered the field on their brooms.

“Welcome to the first Quidditch game of the season, today we’ll see Ravenclaw playing against Hufflepuff!” the boy doing the commentary said over the noise.

The referee Madam Hooch came into everyone’s view with the trunk containing the balls. At the center of the pitch, she beckoned the players to gather around her and released both the Bludgers and the Snitch.

After warning them about wanting a fair game, she blew her whistle and threw the Quaffle high into the air.

“Here we go! The Quaffle is up, immediately taken by Victor Leon of Hufflepuff, moving fast around the pitch – neat pass to Captain Jason Blackspike now flying towards the goal posts, followed closely by Ravenclaw Chaser Bree Martin—”

Evie held her breath, her binoculars pressed firmly against her face. _Come on Bree_.

“And Ravenclaw takes the Quaffle!”

“Yes!” Evie yelled, along with the others Ravenclaws. “Go Bree!”

“Martin flies to the other side, the Hufflepuff Chasers making the task difficult I admit – well calculated pass to Diana Zaine, back to Martin – she aims! Will she— No she won’t! That was Carlos De Vil and Hufflepuff’s back in possession.”

Unanimous groans of annoyance from the Ravenclaws in the stands, happier cheers blasted from the Hufflepuffs’ side.

“The field’s clear, he’s speeding and– ohh that Bludger came close, good dive De Vil! Passes to Leon, saved from another precise Bludger by Gil Legume – the Ravenclaw Beaters are on fire today! – they move strategically to the goal posts and it’s working. De Vil back with the Quaffle, he’s gonna sco— remarkable stop by Ravenclaw Keeper Stevens! Boy, he did get better—”

Attempt. Miss. Slip. Score. Argue. It wasn't long before the Hufflepuffs found themselves in the lead (mostly thanks to Carlos). And after fifty-seven long minutes during which Evie and the rest of the Ravenclaws as well as the Hufflepuffs went through twenty different emotions and nearly lost their voices, the Snitch was caught by Adrian Jones, sealing the game with a score of two hundred and thirty points to one hundred and ten, and granting the first victory of the season to the Ravenclaw House.

* * *

It was the best weekend ever.

After their victory of the previous day, the Ravenclaws allowed themselves a homework-free afternoon to have a little party in the common room. There were snacks and drinks and a jubilant atmosphere, Evie had the time of her life celebrating with her House mates.

On Sunday morning, she woke up to a nice colorful birthday card sitting at the foot of her bed, curtesy of the other girls of her dormitory. She smiled in a barely-awake daze. This was it, she was seventeen, she was finally of age! At least, for the wizards. She couldn’t tell if she felt particularly different inside, but she did have that birthday glow on the outside.

All of her friends had been nothing but sweet drowning her in birthday love. By the end of the morning, she had gotten a set of enchanted lipsticks that didn’t smudge and a large box of her favorite caramelized apples from Mal, a couple of classic historical wizard novels from Ben – he admitted that he asked for his mother’s opinion before choosing them and she guided him through her personal favorites –, a brand new top quality potion-making set from Doug, a stylish baby blue cashmere scarf from Audrey and a cute handmade tiara from Dizzy.

Unfortunately, the birthday dream was short-lived, since pretty much everyone had a mountain of homework to get back to and Evie couldn’t afford to spend two days in a row without studying. She was in a great productive mood, however, as she spent the remaining of the day in the Ravenclaw common room with Doug, only coming down to have lunch and dinner in the Great Hall.

It was almost nine o’clock when her and her dorm mates were disrupted by an owl irrupting in their dormitory, as Evie was sprawled out on her bed devouring one of her new books. The owl landed on her nightstand and she frowned upon recognizing Revenge with a note tied to her leg.

_Hey Princess,_  
_ If you’re reading this, that means Revenge managed to find you, which means you’re not asleep, which is good. Can I see you real quick? If you want of course. It doesn’t have to be in the RoR, just, well, anywhere you want, let me know._

“Who’s writing you so late?” Hailey, who had the bed on the left side of hers, asked nosily.  
  
“Just Mal,” Evie lied, grabbing her quill and ink.

The brunette tried not to look too eager as she wrote her response at the bottom of the parchment.

_Sure! Meet me at the Ravenclaw Tower’s staircase in 15._

She gave the note back to Revenge and the bird flew out.

Ten minutes later, Evie was hastily throwing a robe around her short nightgown and slipping her feet in her fluffy slippers, to head out of the dormitory, “I’ll be back.”

The few other Ravenclaws who were hanging out in the common room looked at her curiously as she crossed it – going out that late in her pajamas? Not the subtlest stunt – but she paid them no mind. The cold air bit at her bare legs as soon as she began to go down the circular stairs. And she waited there, delighted to see the corridor deserted. To her surprise, Uma showed up less than two minutes later, still in the sweater, jeans and boots that she had been wearing for the day and her bag hanging off her shoulder.

“You look exhausted,” was the first thing Evie said to her. Because she did. “Where do you come from?”  
  
“The library,” Uma sighed with a roll of her eyes. “I was studying with Harry and Gil. For real, I can’t believe how much homework they give us. We’re so behind, it’s crazy.”

Evie sighed and nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, O.W.L.s preparation, I know what it is.”

“Madam Pince basically kicked us out so I just swung by the Owlery and, well. You know the rest.” Uma’s eyes roamed all over her body, taking in her attire. “Were you about to go to sleep? Am I disturbing you?”  
  
“Not really, I was reading. It’s alright though. You wanted to see me?”  
  
“Well of course, silly,” Uma said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s your birthday and I haven’t seen you all day!”

Okay. When she said it like that it indeed sounded kind of obvious.

A warm feeling spread in Evie’s chest, she smiled, “Aw, that’s true. I spent most of the day studying too actually, since I didn’t do it at all yesterday. We had a celebration party in the common room after the match. Which I told you we were gonna win by the way.” She finished teasingly.

“Ha ha. Save that energy for the match against Slytherin, will you?”  
  
“Careful here Captain, too much arrogance is really not cute,” Evie said with a smirk, mocking what Uma had said the day before.

And Uma mocked her answer, “Just stating facts.” Both girls laughed. “So, you’re legal now, huh. How does it feel?”

Evie shrugged, “Pretty much the same honestly. For now at least. It’ll get better once I finally learn how to Apparate.”

That was the thing she was looking forward to the most. And using magic at home of course. The idea of popping out of nowhere to scare the hell out of her mother also felt strangely tantalizing.

“Oh, yeah, there’s that. In the meantime, well, here’s something else that you can have.”

Her hand delved inside her bag and she held out a flat square velvety red box with a big silver bow on top. “Happy birthday, Princess.”

Evie gasped loudly, astonished, “Holy dwarf. Uma, I— Is this… for me?” _Obviously, stupid, whose birthday is it today?_ “You didn’t have to!”

“I know, but I wanted to.”  
  
“I—I don’t know what to say!”  
  
“Don’t say anything then. Just, open it?”

She obliged. Evie lifted the lid of the box with care, her eyes widening when she saw what was inside. On a tiny light beige cushion laid a small heart-shaped ruby pendant topped with a little golden crown, the whole thing hanging at the end of a thin gold chain. _No, she didn’t_. Mouth agape, she slowly pulled the jewel out of its confinement, unable to produce a single sound because… just…

“Okay, I know I said don’t say anything but, hm, do you like it?” Uma asked worriedly seeing how Evie was still wordlessly gawking at the necklace. “It’s not magical or anything but I thought of you when I saw it and—whoa!”

It was too much tenderness for Evie Grimhilde’s little heart to handle. Next thing she knew, the box was on the floor as she literally leaped forward and threw her arms around the aqua haired girl’s neck, making her drop her bag. And yes, she knew how Uma didn’t like hugging and all that but she could honestly not have it any other way right now, not when Uma did what she just did. Besides the necklace itself – that was just utterly splendid, in all simplicity but it really couldn’t be more perfect in Evie’s eyes – she hadn’t been expecting that Uma would bring her a present at all, even though she had gotten plenty of those today. But this one felt different. In the best way. And that, _that_ was worth risking a hug. And a big one, that is.

Noticeably tense at first, Uma eventually relaxed in Evie’s arms after fleeting seconds and reciprocated the hug, arms encircling the taller girl’s waist. Not that she was given much choice. The brunette was holding her friend so tight that Uma wouldn’t have been able to escape the embrace if she wanted to. But Evie didn’t care, she just… _had_ to.

(What she didn’t actually know was that escaping was the very last thing on Uma’s mind. She felt oddly good, great even, right here.)

“It’s beautiful. I _love_ it,” Evie murmured, the words muffled by a mane of sweet-scented aqua blue braids. “Thank you so much.”

The Slytherin girl surprised her by squeezing her arms tighter for a nanosecond, but then pulled herself away – can’t never have too much of a good thing, right? – “You’re welcome.”

At least she didn’t look completely traumatized, Evie noted.

Still, she apologized, mouth wincing, “So sorry about the hugging, I couldn’t help it.”

“It’s okay. It’s your birthday, you get a pass,” Uma said.  
  
“Alright, thanks.” The brunette marked a small pause, weighing the pros and cons of what she was about to ask next. Ultimately, she held the necklace up. “Help me put it on?”

She saw Uma gulp, seemingly hesitant for a short moment. “Hm, sure. Wait, I’ll just…”

In two swift steps, she went to stand on the first step of the stairs, earning herself a gentle scoff from the Ravenclaw girl, “Really?”

“What? You’re tall.”

She gave the necklace to Uma and the latter proceeded to unclasp the two ends of the chain as Evie turned around and moved all of her hair to one side, exposing the back of her slender neck to her friend. Whether Uma had been being extra cautious with the task or purposely avoiding contact, Evie couldn’t tell. But she didn’t feel the tips of her soft fingers on her skin until after the chain was locked back in and Uma adjusted it around the delicate curve of her neck, and the shivering was immediate. She sucked air in through her teeth, hoping it would go unnoticed by the other girl.

“All good,” Uma said, giving signal for Evie to turn back.

With her new height, the brunette had to look slightly up to meet Uma’s eyes. It seemed like she was just noticing how beautiful they really were despite being the most basic color in the world. Intense dark chocolate pools granting access to the depths of the girl’s soul, an encrypted open book that Evie would gladly spend hours trying to decipher.

“I was right,” the younger girl said barely louder than a whisper.  
  
“About what?” Evie responded in a similar way.  
  
“It was made for you.”

Evie pressed her palm where the pendant rested near her racing heart. They stood close, _oh_ so close, Uma’s perfume was richly sweet and it was intoxicating and _why_ was she biting her lip like this…

_“You can’t do things like this. It’s wrong! You hear me? Very wrong!”_

_WHAP!_

_“What a _shame_. My own daughter. I didn’t raise you to become this obscene.”_  
  
_ “No! Please, I’m s-s-so sorry Mommy…”_

Evie’s insides churned uncomfortably at the triggering memory brutally resurfacing. She felt her face drop. With trembling legs, she distanced herself from Uma a little bit and crossed her arms tightly over her chest, trying to counter the coldness that had invaded her in a matter of seconds. And as if fate was pushing it, the faint echo of a meow let itself heard in the empty corridor behind them.

“You should go before Ms. Norris catches you.”

A look of deep disappointment printed on Uma’s face and she crouched down to pick up her bag and the empty box that had been laying there forgotten this entire time, “That ugly cat is the last thing I’m worried about. But you’re right. It’s getting late.”

“Yeah, it is.” Evie’s voice shuddered awkwardly. “Thanks again for the necklace, it’s really beautiful.”

Uma nodded, half-smiling, “Anytime. So hm, I’ll see you around?”

“Yes. Goodnight, Uma.”  
  
“Goodnight.”

She left without another word.

Evie absentmindedly let her feet take her back to her bed afterwards. She was back to being the lost, frightened girl trapped in a corner within herself.

_“It’s wrong. What a shame.”_

_But why, Mommy, why? It doesn't feel wrong at all._

It had been the best weekend ever, until now.

Curled up in fetal position under her covers, the brunette fell asleep surprisingly fast with her hand clutching the heart shaped pendant.

* * *

“Okay. There it is, everything I have on hellebore. It should be more than enough to help you write your essay.”  
  
“Wow. Thanks, you’re a real lifesaver.”

It was Wednesday evening after dinner and Uma and Evie were in the Room of Requirement. After Snape had burdened the fifth years with yet another essay – fifteen inches about the properties and uses of hellebore in potion-making, which apparently was often included in O.W.L. exams – Uma decided that it gave her a legitimate reason to see Evie again, even though she didn't _actually_ need help (she could still use it though).

“Did you really keep all your notes from last year?” Uma asked as she skimmed through Evie’s parchments. Damn. They were so neat, she had forgotten how diligent the girl was.

“Yeah, it was Mal who asked me to save them for her just in case,” Evie said vigilantly, with that look that she always had whenever she mentioned Mal in front of Uma.  
  
“Uh huh.”  
  
“But I’m happy to lend them to you, too!”  
  
“Well, thanks again.” Uma sat down and took her Potions stuff out to get started, but was surprised to see Evie follow her lead and sit as well. “You’re staying?”

“Why not? For old times’ sake,” the Ravenclaw girl said playfully. “I have an essay to finish too, in Herbology.”

Indeed, they hadn’t studied together since their last tutoring session which took place towards the end of May, on the week that preceded Evie’s O.W.L.s. – a good way for Uma to wrap her head around the fact that their secret friendship was almost seven months old now – and Uma found herself delighted by the idea. Evie pulled out everything she needed and put herself into work mode after one last smile to the aqua haired girl.

Uma couldn’t help but to steal glances at her every so often. (So did Evie but they were so oddly coordinated that they didn’t catch each other.)

Hiding her crush on Evie was becoming harder with each day that passed, especially since she gave herself away involuntarily to Harry two days ago. It was during the morning break, and he had asked her who she would bring to the Millennial Ball with no second guessing. As at random, she had spotted Evie in a distance and had said ‘_her_’ without thinking.

Thankfully there were a lot of other people in the corridor so Harry couldn’t know precisely who she was talking about, but he had made it his duty to get her to reveal who her mysterious girl crush was. He was her best friend after all, he had a right to know. Uma wished he knew. By the way, how come she hadn’t told him already, really. It was _Harry_, if someone knew what it was to crush hopelessly on someone, it definitely was him.

Uma could already picture him nicknaming them the ‘duo of desperate lovers’. Poor unfortunate souls that they were.

Was she desperate? It was true that she wanted to believe that there was a slight possibility that Evie might like her too, so she got bolder with their interactions. She dropped hints, see if the brunette picked up on them. Which seemed to be the case, to some extent. But she also knew she didn’t want to freak Evie out too soon. So…

_One step at the time._

An hour later, they had moved from the table to the couch to be closer to the warmth of the fire. They sat in a comfortable silence, each focused on their own duties. Uma was thoroughly reading through the draft she had managed to produce, and Evie was fine-tuning her Herbology essay with some last elements from her book.

“Do you ever take these out?” Evie asked out of the blue after a moment.

Uma glanced up from her parchment, puzzled, to see Evie looking at her with her head tilted on one side and a little frown, as if she had been observing her for a while. “What?”

“Your braids,” the Ravenclaw brunette specified. “Do you ever take them out?”  
  
“Oh, yeah, every week so I can wash my hair,” Uma replied.  
  
“Doesn’t it take like forever to braid it back?”  
  
“The first times yes. But I got the hang of it so now it’s done in less than half an hour.”  
  
“Could you show me how you do it? Please? Just one.”

The Slytherin girl stared at her, confused as to why Evie was taking such an interest in her hair routine all of a sudden. But the girl really looked and sounded like a curious child, and Uma found this so adorable that she gave in, “Okay.”

_One step at the time._

The idea of doing homework now forgotten for the both of them, Evie closed her book to sit more comfortably and have a better view, and watched eagerly as Uma put her own stuff aside, then expertly flipped her braids over her shoulders, only leaving one of the front ones over her face. She grabbed the end of it and pointed her wand towards it.

“_Relashio_.”

The long blue strand unbraided itself from the girl’s black, shoulder length natural hair in two seconds.

“Alright. First I do that for all of them. Now that I’ve practiced I can take out several braids at once so it’s quick,” Uma started to explain.

Evie nodded her head, “I see. Do you wash the extensions too?”

“Yeah. So, see how it’s all curly because it’s been braided for a long time?” Evie nodded again. “It looks better in the end when the extension’s straight so I use the Straightening Charm on it –” She did exactly that. “– untangle this a little –” She used her fingers to comb through her own undone hair. “– I usually put conditioner before braiding. And then…”

Uma held the turquoise extension against her scalp and took her wand again, “_Capillis Bindo_.”

The two locks of hair neatly braided themselves back together in no time.

“Ta-dah!” Uma chanted victoriously. “Less than thirty seconds.”  
  
“Wow. That’s awesome!” Evie said, genuinely impressed. “Where did you find that spell?”  
  
“My mom taught it to me when she saw me struggle doing it manually. Took some practice to get it right though.”  
  
“Yeah, I suppose. That was very considerate of her.”

Yeah. Ursula did stuff like that sometimes.

“Can you make a braid in mine too?” Evie then asked excitedly.

Uma couldn’t help the chuckle that left her mouth at the odd demand. “I don’t need a spell for that.”

_One step at the time._

Evie squealed out the cutest ‘Yay’ before turning herself around and shaking her hair out of its ponytail. Uma began to meticulously run her fingers through the Ravenclaw girl’s silky locks to ‘comb’ and gather it all in her other hand while she decided what kind of wonder she could possibly work on such gorgeous hair. A sound left Evie’s lips as she did that, a low hum, that came out a lot more sultry than it probably should have, making Uma blush furiously, her movements freezing.

“‘M sorry,” Evie mumbled when she felt it. “I just love it when people play with my hair. Keep going.”  
  
“Alright.”

Focusing on what she was supposed to do rather than the person she was doing it for, Uma – ironically – settled for a loose mermaid waterfall braid and got her expert hands to work. The gesture felt so intimate that she got chills all over her skin, enhanced by the delicious blueberry scent of Evie’s shampoo, and she felt her stomach fluttering as she manipulated small strands over small strands of the girl’s hair with great care.

(They were both silent, but Uma didn’t know that Evie had her eyes closed, too, blissfully enjoying the sensation).

“I just realized something,” Evie said without notice.  
  
“Hmm?” Uma hummed in response, still focused on her task.  
  
“I’ve never heard you sing.”

The turquoise haired girl paused her actions, taken aback by the statement. Now that was something she hadn’t been expecting _at all_, albeit she was used to people asking her to sing. But whereas all these people did it in order to prank or make fun of someone else, Evie had that same sincere, child-like curiosity that seemed devoid of any bad intentions. Which was why she didn’t automatically snap like she usually would.

“That’s, uh… that’s because I never do it when there are people around. It could be risky, don’t you remember what happened the last time?”

“Yes, the two boys. But since I’m a girl it shouldn’t affect me like this, right?” Evie asked.

Uma resumed braiding, feeling nervous at where this was going. “Technically, no. I’m not sure, I didn’t exactly take the time to experiment.”

“Do it.”  
  
“Evie, I really don’t think this is a g—”  
  
“Come on,” the girl persisted. “I want to hear your voice. Pretty please?”

Uma hesitated, “I don’t know. What if something goes wrong?”

“Then you’ll just stop.”  
  
“Morgana used to sing to her victims before she—”  
  
“No, you stop that right now.” The aqua haired girl flinched at the sudden sternness of Evie’s voice, but thankfully it retrieved its soft tone right away. “You’re _not_ your aunt, Uma. I trust you, and I know you wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt me.”

Uma didn’t say anything, chewing the inside of her cheek anxiously.

“Please, sing for me,” Evie requested one last time.

_One step at the time._

Therefore, after a couple more seconds of hesitation, Uma began to sing.

Uma knew how unique and supernatural her voice sounded, for a siren’s voice box (even for a part-siren like her) wasn’t made like a human one. She was just coming up with a random melody with no lyrics, just vocals, starting easy to gauge Evie’s reaction to it – kind of a hard thing to do when the only thing she could see was her back. The other girl didn’t budge, her shoulders slightly moving up and down with her calm and regular breathing. It eased Uma’s mind a little bit, so she kept going, humming her song as she finished Evie’s braid.

Sensing that she was done with her hair, Evie turned on the couch to face the Slytherin girl and watch her as she sang. Her features looked utterly peaceful, walnut eyes fixed upon Uma dreamily. The butterflies in her stomach fussed. She wanted to keep singing forever so that the brunette could keep looking at her like that. Until Evie began to look like she was zoning out, staring blankly into space, and Uma put an immediate stop to her song.

“Why’d you stop?” Evie whined with a cute pout.

Uma laughed lightly, “Because you look like you’re high, Princess. You might haven’t been affected the way a guy would have, but it still did something to you. Am I right?”

“Hmm hmm, kind of. I was lucid but also so relaxed. It was like I could feel all stress being squeezed out of my body.” A large bright grin drew itself on Evie’s lips, splitting her face in two. “Holy mirrors, that was definitely the most wonderful, heavenly sound I had ever heard in my life!”  
  
“A siren song. It’s supposed to be like this.”  
  
“It’s amazing!”

Uma’s heart did a somersault.

_One step at the time._

“Well, you’re the first person to hear it willingly,” she confessed.

Not hiding her surprise, Evie placed both hands over her heart. “I am so deeply honored by that, my dear Captain.”

In the future, when she’d look back at this moment, Uma would always wonder what exactly pushed her to do what she did next.

Maybe it was the fact that the Ravenclaw girl had just said and done all the right things since they arrived in the Room of Requirement earlier in the evening, that she even got her to sing, something that she usually never did because embracing her siren heritage just reminded her that those powers were once used to get people killed. Yet Evie hadn’t been afraid to offer it, trusted her with it. Evie managed to make her enjoy it.

Maybe it was the fact that Evie’s skin looked like pure satin under the light of the fire, and that her lips glistened lusciously, and that she was wearing the necklace Uma gifted her for her birthday, and that the way she had just styled her hair just made her look like the most beautiful real life princess.

Maybe it was the fact that she was suddenly aware of how she hadn’t been able to get the brunette out of her head over the past weeks, of how fast she had fallen for her.

_One step at the time._

Whatever the true reason was, Uma felt a sudden rush of something very new blasting through her and it made her stop thinking.

She bent forward and brought her face to Evie’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four things about this:
> 
> 1\. Technically, the first Quidditch game of the season is Gryffindor vs Slytherin, but I chose to change that for the sake of the plot. Don't get mad at me.
> 
> 2\. I pictured Uma's song as a mix between what Ariel sang when Ursula took her voice in The Little Mermaid and Ryn's siren song from the Freeform TV show "Siren" (if you don't know it, it's a dope show). Or you can imagine whatever suits your mind. Just know our Evie was mesmerized.
> 
> 3\. That braiding spell is another one that I made up. But the Relashio one is actually a thing.
> 
> 4\. MY UMVIE HEART.
> 
> I got so much good feedback from you guys for the last chapter, it was overwhelming (in a good way). Thank you so so so much. I really wanna make you people happy.


	6. I got issues, but you got 'em too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: homophobia. It doesn't reflect my opinions in any way.

Evie wished she could blame what happened next on anything but the actual reason why it happened which was… herself.

It all went down very fast, however she felt like she went through the first four seconds as if in slow motion. She saw Uma coming closer at second number one, and it didn’t take the mind of a genius for the brunette to understand what she was about to do. At second number two, different voices awoke in her head, all coming from different parts of her own being, all belonging to her.

_Help. She’s going to kiss me._

_Yes, she is._

_It's alright. Deep in your heart you know how bad you’ve been wanting this. You’ve dreamed of this. Stay calm._

Indeed, she had dreamed of this. Heck, her dream was _literally_ about to come true, but unfortunately so were the darker parts of it. The burning sensation crept up her cheeks as her mother’s voice rose above the others, icier and scarier than ever, at second number three.

_“No! It’s wrong, you hear me?”_

_No, not again._

_We’ve been through this. You need to fight it._

Easier said than done. Anxiousness began to fill Evie but it hit her harder at second number four, when she felt Uma’s lips brush against hers as lightly as a feather, and then it snapped.

_“You can’t do things like this!”_

In a huge burst of panic, she pushed the girl away from her, maybe with a little too much force. Uma nearly fell off the couch but caught herself last minute, sitting up to face a wide eyed Evie, who was breathing rather fast in shallow pants with her lips parted.

“Holy crap. I’m so sorry Evie, I—”  
  
“What the hell was that about?”

The words slipped out before Evie and her inner voices could attempt to keep her in check. She could’ve stopped right here, and she should have.

Uma tried to explain, “Okay, calm down, will you? Let me—”

_“It’s wrong!”_

_Go away!_

_Just relax and talk to her._

It failed.

“Calm down?” Evie blurted, suddenly jumping to her feet. “How do you want me to calm down when you just… Is _that_ what you think about when you're alone with me?”

_Now you know that isn’t you talking. Stop before it’s too late._

_“What a shame.”_

“Evie please—”  
  
“What am I saying. We’re always alone—”

Uma stood up as well, “Evie, stop! It’s not like that I promise! I just…” Her eyes looked up to the ceiling as she took a deep, nervous breath, then she looked back into Evie’s walnut orbs. “I like you, okay? I _really_ like you, as in more than just friends. I have for a while. And I got carried away and I’m sorry, and _fuck_ this is so not the way I wanted to tell you about this!” She threw her hands up in frustration.

Evie’s heart was going a mile a minute. Why wasn’t she over the moon hearing that. By now she should’ve been letting everything go and run into the girl’s arms because it would make everything _right,_ but alas…

_“You can’t do things like this, it’s wrong!”_

“Of course. And you just figured you could get your way with me after singing that song?”

Uma’s face covered in shock and offense at the harsh accusation. “What the fuck,” she exclaimed. “You were the one who asked!”

_This was so rude of you to say. Stop and apologize, you can still sort things out._

And once again, it failed.

“Yeah, pretty convenient, isn’t it,” Evie retorted.  
  
“Oh my God, do you hear yourself? I didn’t even know what it would do and even if I did, I would’ve _never_ taken advantage of you like that. Like I said I like you, Evie—”

“_My_ _own_ _daughter_.”

“No…”

“—I care about you,” Uma finished in a pleading way.

_She’s sincere, can’t you see? Stop pushing her away._

But it was too late. Her insecurities and fears (more like her mother) had taken over and she had no control over herself anymore. It was too loud, too strong.

“I can’t…”

“It’s the truth.”

“You tried to kiss me…”

_And you wanted that too, damn it!_

Uma sighed apologetically, “I know, I’m sorry I crossed that line. But I don’t know, for a second I just thought… I thought you might feel the same way.”

_“I didn’t raise you to become this obscene.”_

“Well you thought wrong!”

_That’s a lie and you know it._

“Why are you being so aggressive?” Uma said defensively.

_Because it’s not you. Come on, get back in control and tell her it’s not you!_

Sadly, that wasn’t what came out in the end, “Because everything about this is _wrong_ and I can’t have this kind of-of… deviant… feelings, towards you! I’m not… _like this_!”

The final blow.

Evie had never, _ever_ wished she could swallow words back more than she did at this exact moment, as she saw Uma’s face crumble before her eyes. Her arms dropped limply at her sides, shoulders sagging, and it felt like a stab in her heart. She knew they had reach the point of no return.

“I know you didn’t just say that…”

_“What a shame. My own daughter.”_

Uma insisted, voice slightly shaky, “Are you calling me deviant, is that what you think of me?”

_No, it’s not! Take it back, take it back!_

But of course Uma knew nothing about the flaming battle ravaging Evie’s head, so seeing how she still got no answer, the younger girl shook her head with hurt and vexation written all over her. “Wow... Okay. I hear you. Loud and clear.” She gathered her things angrily and stormed out of the room.

“Uma, no wait!” Evie called desperately.

But the turquoise haired girl was already gone.

The Room of Requirement suddenly felt excruciatingly stifling. Evie’s whole body began to tremble, her knees gave in and she fell back on the couch panting heavily. The raging volcano that was her mother’s voice, victorious, was back to being dormant in the back of her mind, finally giving her the reins of her own thoughts back. But it was far too late, the damage was already done, and all she could think about was how awful she felt after what she had just done.

Much later during the night, Evie laid in her bed unable to find sleep, unable to cope with the fact that she had ruined everything. She was disgusted with herself at how mean and brutal she had been. She couldn’t even believe that such words had even come out of her mouth, they didn’t even reflect how she truly felt at the moment. She recalled the look on Uma’s face and her heart tightened painfully.

She thought of her dream, and their impromptu meeting in the Owlery. And that moment in the staircase on her birthday night. All those times she had cowardly weaseled out of a potential kiss because of that one trauma from her past that she couldn’t erase.

Evie hated that she had let her mother’s standards get in the way of something that she knew she wanted, even after all these years. All that unnecessary pressure to become someone she didn’t even want to be, ever since she was a kid: how she should look, how she should behave, what she should like. _Who_ she should like. Some times she had accepted (she couldn’t deny that she liked taking care of her appearance and being nicely dressed), other times she hadn’t. But that last one she hadn’t been able to go against, and she hated that it was still plaguing her like this. That imprisoning grip the older woman still had on her – despite not being _there,_ that was the worst part, she wasn’t even physically present – was insufferable.

Now Uma, her beautiful Uma, probably hated her, and she couldn’t even blame the girl because she hated herself too.

_Congratulations Mommy. You’ve won. Because of you I broke another girl’s heart._

* * *

  * ** Flashback**

_The last thing Uma expected from her solo (emphasis on solo) study session at the library was for a girl with black slash blueish hair to come sit in front of her in the middle of it. Doubtful, but unimpressed, she gave her the resting bitch face. That is, her normal face._

_“Yes?” she said bluntly, while at the same time trying to figure out why the girl looked familiar. It took her a minute. “Wait. I know who you are. Eva, right? You can keep the lecture to yourself.”_

_The other girl straightened her back before speaking. “It’s Evie. And I’m not here to lecture you.”_

_Being in the library, they had to do their best to keep their voices at a low volume to avoid Madam Pince’s wrath._

_“What do you want then?” Uma sighed. “Because for obvious reasons I’m the last person you should be talking to.”_  
  
_ “I think we can help each other out,” Evie said, ignoring that last statement._  
  
_ “Not interested.” Uma looked back down at her book, licked her fingertip and turned a page._  
  
_ “You didn’t let me finish,” Evie retorted, offended._  
  
_ “Don’t need to. I don’t see what I could possibly do for you.”_  
  
_ “The O.W.L.s for me are this year and I’ve been having trouble keeping up in Transfiguration lately.”_

_Uma looked up and glared, not understanding where this was going. “And?”_

_Evie leaned forward, lowering her voice even more, “You turned my best friend into a lizard.”_

_“I did! Highlight of my year!” Uma said with an overflowing sarcasm. “I’ve already been given detention, so like I said, spare me the lecture.”_  
  
_ “No one’s lecturing anyone, geez.” Evie pinched the bridge of her nose. She was getting annoyed with the other girl’s nonchalance. “You actually turned Mal _completely_ into a lizard, Uma. That’s magic beyond N.E.W.T. level!”_  
  
_ “Yeah, so I’ve been told.”_  
  
_ “My point is, you got the skills I need to help me practice for my Transfiguration O.W.L..”_

_Uma arched an eyebrow, “Help you practice, as in tutoring?”_

_“Yes.”_  
  
_ “You want me to tutor you.”_  
  
_ “That’s what I said.”_

_Taken aback would be a total understatement to describe Uma’s state at the moment. “Okay. Wow, hum, listen Eva—”_

_“Evie!” the girl corrected her again._  
  
_ “Evie, whatever.” Uma rolled her eyes. “Your House is full of crazy smart nerds. I’m sure you can find someone who’ll be more than happy to help you. Tutoring’s not my thing.”_  
  
_ “Well, first of all, none of these ‘crazy smart nerds’—” Evie made quotation marks with her fingers. “— has ever managed to transform a human into another being. Second of all, even if they did, they’d be in sixth or seventh year with N.E.W.T.s to prepare for. With all due respect, as a fourth-year you don’t have that kind of weight on you. Meaning you’re more likely to fit in my own schedule.”_

_Uma’s eyes widened in total disbelief of what she was hearing. This girl had guts, coming to her, out of all people, like that and asking this kind of favor. She kinda liked it._

_“Are you being serious right now?”_  
  
_ “Very,” Evie replied in all seriousness._  
  
_ “So let me get this straight.” The Slytherin girl planted her eyes firmly into Evie’s, arms crossed on the open book before her. “You’re asking _me_, the person that your bestie clearly hates the most, to help _you_ study because you saw me putting her in a _slightly uncomfortable_ situation, and because you assumed my schedule was lighter?”_  
  
_ “Exactly.”_  
  
_ “Does Dragon face know about this?”_

_Evie didn’t answer, instead she bit the corner of her bottom lip while fiddling with her fingers. That was all the confirmation Uma needed, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Holy shit, you’re doing this behind her back! What kind of friend are you?”_

_“Shhh lower your voice, we’re in the library for Merlin’s sake!” Evie scolded her, face taking a slight rosy red tint. “And it doesn’t matter whether Mal does or doesn’t know. Are you in or not?”_

_Uma was honestly considering it. Tutoring Mal’s best friend behind her back? It sounded wickedly sneaky, such a subtle way to have some kind of leverage over the girl. Tempting, very tempting. Could be useful, too. She was about to say yes, but then she remembered her mother’s number one lesson in life: never do anything for free._

_“What would I get in return?”_  
  
_ “I can help with your Potions situation.”_

_Uma inhaled sharply, lips pursed._ Touché,_ she thought. She quickly weighted the pros and cons of the girl’s proposition. Reasonable Uma on her left shoulder reminded her that she could use a hand in Potions. But on her right shoulder, deal maker Uma wanted more benefits. “Alright, if you give Slytherin fifty points.”_

_“What the—” Evie nearly shouted. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand before continuing. “Are you insane? I can’t do that.”_

_Uma glared, “Of course you can. You’re a prefect.”_

_“I mean that’s too much. I can give you fifteen.”_  
  
_ “Forty.”_  
  
_ “Twenty.”_  
  
_ “Twenty-five. Take it or leave it.”_

_The older brunette scrunched her face in deep thought and slight indignation. “Small price to pay for an O.W.L., don’t you think?” Uma teased._

_“Fine. Twenty-five points it is.” Evie breathed out, giving in._

_Uma smirked, “Then you got yourself a deal.”_

_They shook hands. None of them was prepared for the place this deal would take them._

  * ** End of flashback**

* * *

  * ** Flashback**

_“Oh gosh, my head is going to explode. I need a break,” Evie sighed heavily, fingertips rubbing her temples._  
  
_ “I thought you said you needed to get that spell right by the end of the night,” Uma said._  
  
_ “I know, but it’s pointless that I keep trying when my brain’s saturating like this.”_  
  
_ “Okay, if you say so.”_

_Second week of April. It was Evie’s fifth tutoring session with the younger Slytherin and to say the least, things were going pretty well. Following the awkward tensions of the first meetings, they got used to each other’s company and Evie quickly realized that Uma was far from being the vile person Mal always claimed she was. She had this outward couldn’t-care-less persona that she wanted everyone to see but there was more to her than met the eye, something way more complex, and now that Evie had caught a glimpse of behind closed doors Uma, she wanted to solve that mystery._

_Evie closed her Transfiguration book in a resolute manner, setting it aside along with her wand._

_“Alright. Time for you-know-what.”_

_Uma groaned, “Ugh, why are we still doing that?”_

_“Because.” Evie said, dragging the word. “A deal’s a deal.”_

_Ah, yes, the sacred d-word. Sacred for Uma, at least. Evie had managed to trap her into one on their second meet-up: she got to ask one personal question per session, and they both had to give an honest answer. So, from the last three, she had found out what her favorite color was (turquoise blue, and Evie had beamed because hers was royal blue), the craziest thing she'd done in Hogwarts (Evie had kind of expected her to say turning Mal into a lizard, but surprisingly she mentioned swimming in the lake with the merpeople and the giant squid), and what animal she wished she’d turn into if she was an Animagus (the weirdest answer thus far… an octopus. The explanation that followed was quite fascinating)._

_Uma reluctantly had to admit that playing that little game with the brunette wasn’t the most burdensome task in the world. The left corner of her mouth curved up in spite of herself, “Okay fine. Go ahead.”_

_“Biggest childhood fantasy.”_

_The younger Slytherin quirked a brow in amusement, “What?”_

_“What’s something that you always wanted to do, or to be, as a kid? For example, I used to wish I was a princess. Stop, I know how basic that sounds,” she pouted when Uma snorted, visibly trying to contain a laugh._  
  
_ “It kinda does, I’m sorry.”_  
  
_ “It’s not entirely my fault though. My mother told me so many bedtime stories about them when I was little, it just seemed like the perfect life.”_  
  
_ “Muggle stories?” Uma asked._

_Evie smiled. That was her favorite moment, the one when she managed to prick Uma’s interest over a simple thing. Because yes, Uma also turned out to be quite curious about the Muggle life._

_“Yes. Before I even knew I was a witch this was the kind of magic that I believed in.”_  
  
_ “I see. So what’s a princess life like?”_

_“Well, obviously she lives in a castle, somewhere deep in the woods. She has the finest taste in fashion and wears the most beautiful dresses of the kingdom.”_

_Uma let out a tiny laugh because she could’ve just pictured the girl saying that, but let Evie continue heartedly. “She’s smart and independent, and owns thousands of books that she likes to read in her orchard where, by the way, she grows the most delicious apples. And that’s just the beginning, I could go on for hours.”_

_“Wow.” The Slytherin girl whistled. “You really thought this through.”_  
  
_ “I admit I have.” Evie clapped her hands twice. “Come on, your turn.”_

_Uma pursed then moistened her lips in thought, tapping her nails against the wooden table._

_“So I kinda sorta have this_ thing_ with water, you know,” she started with a slight roll of her eyes, but her tone was sarcastically playful. It made Evie chuckle as she nodded yes. “It might sound stupid but, I think I always dreamt about exploring the seas. Have a ship and a crew of my own, and just sail around the world indefinitely.”_  
  
_ “Have you ever sailed?” The Ravenclaw brunette asked with curiosity._  
  
_ “Yeah. First with the old fisherman whom my mom used to buy most of her fish from, he’d take me with him on some Sunday mornings to help. But he died, and the new supplier wasn’t as nice so I didn’t get back on a boat until last summer, when Harry came to visit me and somehow managed to ‘borrow’ one or so he says.” She scoffed at the memory. “So, yeah. That’s pretty much it.”_  
  
_ “I don’t think it’s stupid at all,” Evie said softly after a moment._  
  
_ “Really?”_  
  
_ “Of course. It’s actually so much cooler than my basic princess dream life.”_  
  
_ “That can be changed. Let’s make you a badass princess.” Uma smirked._  
  
_ “I like the sound of that. What does a badass princess do?”_

_Uma crossed her forearms on the table and leaned on them, “Well, first she knows how to use both a wand _and_ a sword.”_

_“Nice!” Evie nodded approvingly. “And do you think her badass captain friend would ever take her on an adventure with her?”_

_‘Friend’. The word had slid its way into the conversation so smoothly that none of them cared to address it._

_“Depends, can she follow orders? Because princess on board or not, the captain has the power on the ship.”_

_And so it started. That night, they allowed themselves to let go and get lost in the eccentricity of their imagination, creating crazy adventures that put in scene a kingdom by the ocean, a lost island, pirate wizards and witches, evil knights, sea monsters, sword fights and lots of magic. Sharing their dreams and laughing at how goofy they sounded once spoken into existence. That night they talked for much longer than they ever have, stayed in the Room of Requirement long after curfew and almost got caught by Filch on their way back, so they laughed some more._

_That night, they had taken things to a new level without either of them being fully aware of it, the dawning of a sincere bond between two girls who shouldn’t even have bonded in the first place. Or maybe, it was a sign that they should have. Maybe the universe knew perfectly what it was doing when it made their paths cross. Maybe it was supposed to be like this._

_The mail exchange the next morning also took a decisive turn._

Good morning Captain.  
Yes, from now on that’s what I’ll be calling you. Hope you managed to make it to your dormitory without too much trouble. I did.  
(Can’t believe I broke the rules by the way. It’s the first time, I’m totally blaming you).  
But I really enjoyed last night. We should have more of those.

_To which Uma responded:_

Aye, it sounds dope and I like it. But I have no other choice but to call you Princess then. And no, it was all good for me, too.  
It’s alright, I’ll gladly take the blame. I had fun last night as well, and we’ll definitely have more of those. That way you’ll see how much of a bliss rule breaking is with me.

_The universe was working._

  * ** End of flashback**

* * *

It’s been a week and a half.

A week and a half since the whole Room of Requirement disaster. Eleven days since Uma felt like her world had been rocked, like she had been relentlessly shaken like a snow globe and now everything was out of place inside of her.

She was trying, very hard, to come in terms with the fact that it even happened. Well for one she probably shouldn’t have tried to kiss Evie like this.

So much for taking it one step at the time.

For sure, she could understand that the girl had been taken by surprise. Who wouldn’t be, seeing their friend go in for a kiss with no warning and then confess their feelings.

What she really had trouble to accept, however, was the sad truth behind that tough reaction, what Evie had said afterwards. Like any other human being on the surface of Earth, Evie had her flaws, though Uma never really focused on them. For instance, she had picked on the girl’s selfish and careerist tendencies very early on, that had her questioning her sincerity and loyalty a few times. If she had been capable of asking her _best friend's enemy_ to help her pass her exam, straight after said best friend had been publicly humiliated by said enemy, how far would she be willing to go to get what she wanted and stay on top.

But then again, at the time Uma couldn’t care less, she wasn’t the one being betrayed. Mal was, and she clearly didn’t give a damn about that.

That was _before_ they got close and the Slytherin girl saw beneath that. Evie had the brightest mind Uma had ever encountered. She was incredibly smart, curious and always eager to learn about the world and sharpen her knowledge even more, but with an immensely kind and sweet nature and a heart of gold that captured Uma’s before she knew it. She still had her flaws, but Uma would’ve never thought in a million years that homophobic could be one of them.

_It just makes no fucking sense_, had Uma been repeating to herself continuously for a week and a half. Even more than the fact that she had been rejected by the girl she liked, she was incensed at that insane revelation. Not Evie. The girl was way too smart to be this judgmental and narrow-minded.

Uma wished it was all a twisted trick of her imagination, some kind of wicked dream or even an alternate reality. But whenever she did, she had a very real reminiscence of Evie implying she was deviant, and the world exploded all over again.

It didn’t make any sense and she refused to accept it. She wanted to get to the bottom of this. She wanted to _understand._ But sadly, contrasting with that, Uma also had one big flaw of her own: she was one to resent and hold grudges, and no matter how bad she wanted to fix things, out of pure pride, she wouldn’t make the first move. And as of now, she wouldn’t really be open to discussion either if Evie ever came back to her. She knew it, because she had received two letters after that gloomy night and hadn’t read them.

She was hurt, she was angry, and terribly sad at the same time. She blamed herself, she blamed Evie. It’s been a week and a half, and she was a mess.

And of course, because the turquoise haired girl kind of sucked when it came to conceal her emotions (especially the negative ones), Harry instantly sensed that something was wrong and so did Gil and Carlos when they saw her. But Uma hadn’t told them because even now she still couldn’t bring herself to break the secrecy around her and Evie’s relationship. Because Harry was so protective of her that he might do something she didn’t want him to do if she told the truth. So she did the only thing that seemed to make sense, she pushed them away every time they tried to get her to talk. But they cared so much, she could see how lost and confused it made them, and soon she couldn’t bear it anymore.

As a result, she began to spend more and more time alone outside of class, the only exception being the Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Slytherin that Uma had still been looking forward to, though for nothing since Slytherin ended up losing. Needless to say, it put her in a rotten mood. The rest of the time, she immersed herself in the only thing that could miraculously take her mind off all of this: studying.

The day after the match was a Sunday and Uma had spent her whole morning in a corner of the common room surrounded by a pile of books, and after lunch she had fled to the library, once again brushing off Harry and Gil’s calls of concern. She sat there doing some much needed Charms and Arithmancy homework all afternoon and everything was going more or less smoothly. Until she went to put a book away and…

“Hey, Evie.”

Uma froze dead in her tracks, her arm that was lifting the book stuck in mid-air at an awkward angle. It was a male voice that she didn’t recognize, coming from the other side of the shelves she was standing by, therefore it could’ve been addressed to anyone, but there couldn’t be that many girls named Evie in this school so it had to be… Could she have been sitting here this whole time?

“Oh, hi Adrian. How are you?”

Okay, _that_ was definitely her Evie’s voice. So the girl had really been sitting here this whole time, barely forty feet away from where Uma was and she didn’t even know it; not that she would’ve actually done something if she did. She knew ‘Adrian’ was the blonde playboy from the Ravenclaw Quidditch team but she had no idea how close him and Evie were. The girl loved Quidditch so much, they were probably best buddies for all she knew. Uma’s heart twisted uncomfortably in her ribcage at how cheerful Evie's tone was – how _unfair_! When she herself had been feeling all kinds of miserable, like _what the hell_, was Evie not fazed _at all_? – it should’ve urged her to leave the place asap. But for some reason her feet remained glued to the floor and she kept listening, unnoticed.

“Eh, I’m alright. Between class, homework and practice I’m pretty busy y’know. Do you have a minute though? I need to talk to you about something.”  
  
“Yes of course, how can I help?”

The sound of a chair being pulled, fabric ruffling and a soft thump were heard, and Uma could only assume that Adrian had sat, before he said, “Listen, hm, I won’t beat around the bush. I’ve been thinking lately and I was just wondering if, uh, would you like to go to the Millennial Ball with me?”

The younger Slytherin swore she could feel her heart beat in her ears, her hand instinctively shooting up to cover her mouth and muffle a gasp.

“Wh-what? Are you… I-I mean, don’t you have a girlfriend?” Evie stuttered after two seconds, her voice tinted with astonishment.

_She’s not saying no_, said an annoying little voice in the back of Uma’s head.

She heard Adrian sigh deeply, “Well, it’s true, what everyone’s saying. Nina and I broke up before summer. She moved to Sweden with her parents.”

“Oh no, I’m so sorry.”  
  
“Don’t be, it was a mutual agreement.” Short pause, then there was a slight change in Adrian’s voice, making it mellower. “I admit I was hesitant to ask someone because of that but, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t imagined having you as my date. You’re a very interesting girl and…”

That was it. Uma had heard enough, she couldn’t stay here. She put the book back on the shelf and rushed to retrieve her things at her table, left the library without even putting them back in her bag. Once outside she walked fast, slaloming between few groups of students who were heading to the Great Hall for dinner. Her ears were buzzing unbearably with the conversation she had just eavesdropped. _Adrian_ asked Evie out, great, handsome Adrian who played Quidditch and most certainly matched her conventional, heteronormative views, why in hell would she refuse.

She wanted to punch a hole through the wall.

She had almost reached the entrance hall when, in her hurry, she collided violently with a first-year Gryffindor boy who was coming from the opposite direction, sending both the kid and the things she was holding on the ground.

“Watch where you’re going, you little punk!” the girl yelled at him.

Technically, he wasn’t at fault – Uma was the one not really looking where she was going – but she was in no condition to be rational at this point. Face dripping with fear, the small boy stammered a weak apology as he rose to his feet and ran away from her as fast as he could.

“What is it that I see, you’re bullying first years now Shrimpy?”

_Seven Seas. Not her. Not now_. How come this girl _always_ had a knack to show up at the most inconvenient times. Uma picked her stuff up, impressed that she somehow maintained some kind of self control despite the provocation, not an easy thing to do when her emotions were all over the place like this.

“That’ll be ten points from Slytherin,” Mal said.

The blue haired girl straightened up and shot Mal a murderous glare. _This fucking bitch_. Her top lip quivered as she was about to snap at the Gryffindor blonde, but then she realized…

She didn’t even want to fight, she didn’t have the energy for that. Instead, she shook her head and grunted grimly, “You know what? Do what you want. I don’t fucking care.”

And with that, she was off, under the stunned looks of all the people present here, including Mal’s. Skipping the whole idea of going to dinner, Uma practically ran through the maze of corridors that led to the Slytherin common room, blinking fast in order to fight the stinging in her eyes.

The first tears didn’t begin to fall until after she reached the confinement of her dormitory which, to her ultimate relief, was empty of its other occupants. She carelessly dropped what she was holding by her bed and kicked off her shoes, noticing a package at the foot of her bed, large and rather flat wrapped in brown paper with a piece of parchment stuck atop it.

“Now what the fuck is that?” she groaned out loud, ripping out the note so roughly that it tore on the right side.

_I used the measurements you took this summer for your school robes to make it your size. Feel free to add stuff on it if you want._  
_ Mom._

Uma gasped shakily in the middle of her sobs. She had completely forgotten that her mother said she’d send her a dress for the ball.

The ball, again. And to think that she was beginning to gather the inner courage to ask Evie to be her date. Well now Evie had a date.

_To hell with that stupid ball!_

Without even bothering to take a look inside, Uma crumbled the note and brutally tossed the package on the floor before climbing on her bed, more tears blurring her vision. She grabbed one of her pillows and disappeared under her covers fully dressed, poor shielding from the sadness that had taken up in her chest for the past eleven days and the different pictures that started to pollute her mind at once.

_“I like you, okay? I really like you.”_

_“Oh, hi Adrian. How are you?”_

_“Everything about this is wrong!”_

_“I was wondering if, uh, would you like to go to the ball with me?”_

_“I’m not… like this!”_

_“You’re a very interesting girl.”_

Out of all the people she knew, she could’ve never expected that Evie would be the one who would cause her a heartache like this.

Yet, Uma missed her, very much so. Every single thing about her. The twinkling in her walnut eyes, her angelic smile, the cute little snort in her laugh when she laughed too hard…

_“I can’t have this kind of-of… deviant… feelings towards you!”_

Body curled around the pillow she had a tight grip on, Uma cried herself to sleep cradled by the dreary waves of her own sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like "Issues" by Julia Michaels can pretty much sum up Umvie's whole situation in this (hence the title). My poor babies... It breaks my heart too, believe me.
> 
> Thanks for the support!  
Xoxoxoxo


	7. Boys, boys, boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my darlings. So, so sorry, it's been a while.
> 
> I better give you a little heads up before you start reading. For this chapter, we're going to do things a little differently because..... we won't be focusing on Umvie, which I know might sound ridiculous since this story is about them (I knowwww) but... well. You'll understand as you go on.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Many wondered how Jay remained single. Handsome and popular, with a hoard of girls basically crawling at his feet and throwing themselves at him anytime they could, how come he hadn’t broken any hearts. The answer to that was quite simple: it was way too easy.

With girls like in his life, Jay liked a challenge.

The longing looks, teasing smirks and flirtatious remarks he casually threw around to his many admirers were just a way for him to entertain himself but by no means was he looking for a match by doing that. Quite frankly, the long haired boy had absolutely no interest in someone he could get just by a snap of his fingers. No. He liked when girls seemed out of his reach, those complex, hard-to-get ones whom he had to chase after. In a more formal term, Jay liked courting, in his own way. And unfortunately for him, there weren’t that much of those in Hogwarts, for they were pretty much all so desperately obvious with their predatory looks, batting their lashes at him hoping to be lucky enough to get ‘picked’ someday.

Evie Grimhilde hadn’t batted her lashes at him and that was how she caught his eye (along with the fact that she was downright pretty). He had taken a chance on her when they were in third year however when she said no, there was this whole vibe about her reaction that, for a brief moment, had the boy wondering if his Ravenclaw counterpart was into boys at all… but, that was none of his business. Evie was still a pretty cool person to be around so he didn’t push it or hold it against her. That was the good thing about Jay; he was chill (with limits _of course_. Chad Charming sure knew all about that).

And then, one day, Li Lonnie propelled her way into the picture.

Jay had heard about her a couple of months before they officially met, at the beginning of his fifth year, during a double Transfiguration class they had in common with the Gryffindors. Chad – yes, him _again_ – had been sitting in front of him and had spent the first twenty minutes of the class bitching to anyone who would listen about the newest Seeker of their Quidditch team, about how ‘_stupid and careless_’ their captain had been to ‘_give that responsibility_’ to a girl ‘_who had probably never even touched a broom before attending Hogwarts_’ (since ‘_she was raised by Muggles, you know?_’), just because ‘_he thinks she’s cute or whatever_’ and how they had even lower chances to ‘_beat that Barmaki dude_’ after that (talking as if Jay hadn’t been sitting right behind him the whole time).

The Slytherin boy had rolled his eyes so hard they had hurt, but at the same time it made him curious. A new Seeker for Gryffindor, huh… New competition, he liked that.

They were introduced on the day of the first game against Gryffindor (or rather, it had been a dirty attempt of the captain of the Slytherin team to destabilize her), and Jay had been quite intrigued by what he saw. Lonnie had stood her ground confidently, holding her head as high as her fourteen-year-old self could with her face arranged into a scowl. There hadn’t been an ounce of concern in her mahogany eyes upon facing Hogwarts’ infamous ‘Snitch thief’, as he was commonly called by his peers, best Seeker recruited by the Slytherin team in over forty years, that caused the House of the great green and silver serpent to remain undefeated for the past three seasons. She hadn’t flinched at all, when he hit her with his signature killer wink and smirk combo, instead knitting her dark eyebrows tighter while looking him up and down, utterly unimpressed with him. “_I’ve heard about you, and your little trick. You can save your breath. I’m here to win,_” had she said coldly, as she grabbed her broom and exited the place in a swoosh of her scarlet Quidditch robes.

A rather significant part of Jay heated with eagerness to teach this arrogant little amateur a lesson on the pitch, but a much smaller part in the back of his head couldn’t help but stop and think, _Damn, that was hot_.

After the kickoff of the match, Jay was pretty much forced to recognize that Lonnie could cleverly work a broomstick, though nearly not as much as him – the skill and smoothness with which Jay maneuvered his dear Cleansweep Seven had yet been matched by any other player – and certainly not enough to catch the Snitch before him. And oddly enough he found himself wanting to know more about the pretty Chinese girl with the scowling face.

He began to observe, from afar, and not only did Lonnie seem to become more and more beautiful as the days passed, but he liked the way she carried herself around school. Independent, determined. Simple, and real. And obviously, he paid extra attention to her during Quidditch. Lonnie was a really good Seeker, her competitiveness reaching levels – judging by the way she trained, her fierceness on the pitch, all of which paid off since she hadn’t lost another game that year – and she never hid the fact that she had made it her mission to beat the Slytherins. And Jay found out he _definitely_ liked it.

_There._ There was his challenge.

Over the next months, things between them turned into a continuous game of cat and mouse, with Jay pushing his luck with subtle flirting and innuendo, and Lonnie being indifferent, borderline rude, repeating that she wasn’t interested. But even so, Jay wasn’t a jerk. He would’ve given it all up if he really felt like he made her uncomfortable, but he had a feeling she was enjoying this just as much as he was. He could've sworn he saw the hint of a blush on her pale cheeks more than once, while her lips twitched trying to resist the pressure of a smile tugging at them, and that usually coincided with the moment she turned on her heel and walked away from him with a firm step.

Maybe the Jay Barmaki ‘trick’ was getting the best of her original reluctance and tough exterior, after all.

For Lonnie’s sake, his best friend was the only one who knew he had an actual crush on her – he had already witnessed how wild his ‘fans’ could get when they sensed a serious threat and he didn’t want the Gryffindor girl to get that treatment – so from an outsider’s point of view it just looked like Lonnie was one of the many girls he flirted with on a daily basis, sustaining his playboy image.

But he really, _really_ liked this one. None of the others were receiving this kind of attention from him.

When the Millennial Ball was announced, Jay made up the whole going-solo-so-he-could-dance-with-all-of-the-girls thing so he could get the others off his back about who he wanted as his date, but of course he _knew_ who he wanted at his arm for the event. As a matter of fact, he did ask Lonnie. Twice so far. And both times she had brushed him off – though the second time he was so smooth with it that it took her by surprise, the stuttering that resulted almost sounded like approval but she eventually regained her composure and groaned telling him to fuck off.

He was _convinced_ at this point that the girl was just forcing herself to resist him.

On the Friday that preceded the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Jay had woken up with an idea. An excellent idea. The best he’d had in months. All he had to do was to talk to Lonnie alone.

He caught her after breakfast, after she parted from her friends as they were off to class and herself had a free period, sneaked up to her in the corridor.

“I’d say I’m surprised to see you here but really I’m not, since annoying me seems to have become your favorite thing to do,” Lonnie said with a heavy eye roll.  
  
“Well hello to you too, sunshine. I’m doing good on this fine morning, thank you. How about yourself?”  
  
“I was doing just fine until you popped up in my face, _sunshine._ Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to get to the training grounds and you’re in my way.”

Jay almost laughed at the way her face scrunched up when she realized she had just revealed her destination.

And despite the fact that he knew why she was going there (to train), he said, “Oh man, there’s nothing like a little morning flight to start the day. Care if I join?”

“In your dreams.”  
  
“You’re right, I do dream of it. Unfortunately for you, there’s somewhere else I have to be right now so we’ll have to postpone that.”  
  
“Aw, how _sad.”_ Lonnie rolled her eyes again, crossing her arms over her chest. “So why are you still here?”

_Here we go_.

“Actually, to talk to you about tomorrow’s game,” Jay said more seriously. “How about we make things a bit more interesting?”  
  
“What the hell are you talking about?”

Jay shrugged nonchalantly, “Nothing much, just a little bet to spice it up a little.”

“And what might that be?” Lonnie sighed in annoyance.  
  
“If we win, you’ll be my date to the ball.”  
  
“Ugh, again. You really don't give up, do you.”  
  
“Oh, I would—” the Slytherin boy dragged his sentence teasingly, slowly backing Lonnie up against the nearest wall and leaning against it with one arm, his hand resting above her shoulder. “—if you were a little better at hiding the fact that you actually like me.”

The girl’s cheeks flushed the slightest bit – just enough for Jay to notice – and his smirk intensified. “I-I don’t— You’re ridiculous.”

“Nope, I’m Jay. And this is exactly what I’m talking about.” He held his other hand out. “So what do you say, doll face, do we have a deal?”

The answer was obvious to him though. It was something him and Lonnie had in common, a strong tendency to never back down from a challenge.

“And what if _we_ win?” she retorted defiantly.

It wasn’t an eventuality he had really considered actually. But if she insisted.

“I’ll leave you alone, and I won’t have a date.”

After three more seconds, Lonnie seized his hand firmly with a sneer, lowering her voice to a warning murmur, “You better get ready to be dateless then, because I am _not_ losing this game.”

“You said that last time, too. I recall it didn’t work out so well for you,” Jay taunted.  
  
“This time I mean it.”  
  
“Hmm. I love it when you get all fierce and feisty.”

She let go of his hand and pushed him out of her way. “Get fucking lost, Jay.”

“I’ll see you on the pitch!” he said as she walked away.

Even the heavy curtains of rain that poured from the sky the next day couldn’t take the long haired boy’s eyes off the prize he had set for himself. His dream of him and Lonnie flying together on their brooms above a wild beach had been way too beautiful to let it be ruined by a bit of water. It was however tough Quidditch conditions, especially for him as Seeker for the rain and wind made it practically impossible for him to see more than six feet past the front end of his broom, but it wasn’t a surmountable issue. He had done that before. The good thing about it was that it shielded the view of him flying in every direction as he searched for the Snitch from the opposite team, and mostly from Lonnie. That way she couldn’t follow him. He was more used to play in this kind of weather than she was. He got this.

An hour later, a golden flash crossed his reduced vision and all his senses were in alert.

He chased the vivacious little ball the best he could through the icy rain, heart beating strenuously in his chest and the familiar adrenaline rushing through his veins. _Come on, faster_. Victory was here, a mere four feet away. Beating Gryffindor, getting to take Lonnie to the ball. _Just a little more_. Only then a glove-covered hand closed around the coveted Snitch…

… except it wasn’t his.

The sound of Madam Hooch’s whistle made it to his ears, followed by the commentary dude’s magically amplified voice.

“Li Lonnie of Gryffindor caught the Snitch! The score is one hundred and ninety to sixty, victory goes to Gryffindor!”

What. _What._

His ears started to buzz, muffling all sounds that surrounded him. The rain hissing. The crowd cheering. His teammates screaming. His limbs numbing, he came down to the ground, went back to the changing room and sat there, in shock. The team captain was bellowing profanities that were probably directed at him and Jay just stared into space, paying him no mind. He let his soaked hair down, watched as drops fell on the floor as the last scene of the match replayed over and over in his head.

He had the Snitch at arm reach, he _had_ it. But unknown to him Lonnie had been underneath the whole time, and if he had just checked his surroundings more carefully he would’ve changed his strategy. It irked him beyond levels because it was such a rookie mistake that he shouldn’t have made. Jay was no rookie. He was the Snitch thief, he didn’t lose.

Until today. He lost focus and Lonnie caught him off guard. Lonnie…

His heart clenched at the thought of the beautiful Chinese. She had slipped right through his fingers just like the Golden Snitch. Maybe for good this time. He couldn’t bear it.

“I told you I wasn’t losing.”

Great. As if it wasn’t hard enough she just had to show up.

“Came to gloat huh. Fair enough,” Jay said with his back still turned to her. “You outdid yourself out there, doll face.” The nickname slipped out in spite of himself, tasting bittersweet in his mouth. “Maybe you really do hate me. Not gonna lie, it kinda hurts. But congratulations I guess. I’m off your back.”

And he meant that. Jay was a man of his word. They made a deal and he had to respect every condition, as painful as it was. Was that what she aimed for him to say all along?

Apparently not. “Okay, first of all, I don’t hate you. And second of all, I was actually coming to tell you that I’d be your date.”

At that he had to turn and face her at last, with a look of total incomprehension that reflected through furrowed eyebrows and a single starkly spoken sentence. “Is this a joke?”

“No.”  
  
“I don’t follow.”  
  
“I did push myself to win the match, but not because of our bet. I did it because that’s what I train so hard for, I _want_ to bring the cup to Gryffindor. Also I wanted to beat you, as a Seeker, to prove people, especially you, that you’re not invincible,” Lonnie explained softly, getting closer.

Jay scoffed. “I guess I deserved that.”

“You do.” The girl nodded. “So yes, I won, both the game _and_ the bet. But I admit, I—I do like you.” Jay’s heart skipped a beat and he was sure it showed on his face by the way he felt his eyes widening. Lonnie continued, “I was afraid because of your, um, reputation. But no one has ever gone through that much trouble to get with me and it’s kinda, I don’t know, weird, but in a good flattering way I guess. Anyway, I think… well. I think what I’m getting at is that I don’t really want you to leave me alone. So I accept to be your date to the Millennial Ball.”

She was standing in front of him now, expecting an answer from him that for some reason wasn’t coming.

“Cat got your tongue huh?” Lonnie smirked. “Well at least I get to say I got the great Jay Barmaki speechle—”

She never got to finish that sentence, because in the blink of an eye Jay was up, cupped the sides of the Gryffindor girl’s jaw and brought his lips to hers, cutting off her words. It was gentle, though firm enough to keep her in place but soft enough for her to stop him if she wanted to. She didn’t. Even better, she kissed back and he felt her body relax, all the post-Quidditch tension in her muscles melting away, in his too, and with good reason because it was _finally_ happening. Jay didn’t care that their faces were still cold from the weather they had just faced outside. Or that his lips were probably unusually dry at the moment. He couldn’t put his focus on anything other than the girl before him, whom he was holding, whom he was _kissing,_ right now in the changing room. It could’ve seemed rather unglamorous, for them to be sharing their very first kiss while being all damp due to rain and sweat, but that was also something Jay – none of them actually – didn’t care about. Not when a smaller pair of hands came up to rest on his torso, fists clenching around the front of his Quidditch robes and kept him close.

He couldn’t tell for how long they made out like this, but he was the one who decided to put a stop to it. As if to ensure that he hadn’t imagined this, eyes meeting her warm brown one as they both sucked in much needed oxygen. From her dilated pupils to the pink tinting her cheeks, it was all _very_ real.

“Who’s speechless now?” Jay said while he toyed with a thin strand of wet jet black hair that framed her face, twirling it around his finger. Lonnie averted her eyes from him, biting her lip in slight embarrassment but smiling through it nonetheless. “Don’t tell me that was your first kiss,” Jay teased, endeared by the sight.

“Damn you.” She hit him lightly in the chest. “Always here to ruin the mood, aren’t you?”  
  
“No, most of the time I tend to brighten it.”

One finger under her chin, he made her tilt her head up as he said that and tried to kiss her again, but this time Lonnie reacted and lifted her own hand, placing the tip of her forefinger on his lips before they could make contact with hers.

“I think you’ve had enough of that for today,” she whispered, before gradually prying herself away from the older boy’s grip and walking backwards towards the exit. “I’ll catch you later, Snitch thief.”

On his way back to the castle a dozen minutes later, Jay felt as though he had been hit by a Cheering Charm. There was absolutely nothing he could do about the grin that split his face in two – thankfully he did manage to control the skip in his step – and it was only upon seeing the looks people were giving him, that he got reminded that he had just lost his first match of the season and therefore shouldn’t be looking this cheerful.

Oh, well.

He’d deal with his angry team captain and the rest of his House mates in due time. For now, he was savoring a victory of his own that somehow was worth more than any trophy.

* * *

Carlos never minded ditching his friends from his year to spend time with Gil, Harry and Uma. School before he met them was undeniably less pleasant than what it was now. His whole childhood, Carlos had been tormented by his size and the fact that he was _always_ the smallest of all the kids his age wherever he went. Surely enough, when he turned eleven and started his first year, it was still the case. He lacked confidence and it made him look weak, something that, by the laws of the universe, lured the bullies. For Carlos, the first weeks in Hogwarts were anything but fun, and it could have gotten a lot worse if second-year Gil hadn’t showed up and defended him which was strange to Carlos because they didn’t know each other. When asked why he did it, Gil only said that he knew what it was to be seen as the weakest link and how he couldn’t let a fellow Hufflepuff being bullied before his eyes and not do anything.

Bless his soul.

This day turned young Carlos’ whole life around. Gil became his friend and one thing leading to another, so did Harry and Uma. Because he didn’t hang out with them as much as Gil did due their mismatching schedules, he enjoyed the trio’s vibrant dynamic every so often on the weekends, Hogsmeade trips when they occurred and lunch during the week.

Except that lunch with them had gotten extremely awkward these days since twice out of three times Uma wasn’t even there, and on the rare times when she was, well, she might as well be considered absent. She barely spoke and always left before Harry, Gil and him were even finished. They had tried – and still were trying by the way – to understand what could’ve possibly happened that got their turquoise haired friend into such a constant gloomy mood. They first thought it was because of _that time of the month_ but, as Harry judiciously remarked, _that_ usually happened between the first and second weeks of each month and it usually tended to make her more on edge, not the other way around. Gil then suggested that it might’ve had something to do with Ursula or the restaurant, but again Harry reminded them that it wasn’t the kind of thing she kept from them. They made many other assumptions like this which just turn out to remain just that, assumptions, since Uma kept brushing them off every time they asked and the three boys were plainly running out of options at this point.

They didn’t know what to do, mostly Carlos, who despite the sincerity of his concern for his friend was the one who was here the least.

He looked on his right side at the same time Harry and Gil did when they heard Uma gulp down the water from her glass and stand up from the Slytherin table, where they were all seated. Glancing at her plate, the boys all noticed how little she had eaten and they exchanged a nervous look.

“Where are you going?” Gil asked worriedly.  
  
“The library,” Uma stated.

It pained Carlos to hear her voice sound like this. Low and dull, almost empty of all emotions, as it had been for the past two weeks or so. It didn’t sound right without all the teasing and the sarcasm, and he sort of regretted all the times he told her to shut up because said teasing was aimed at him.

“Already? But darling you barely ate,” Harry pointed out with the same concern as the Hufflepuff blonde boy.  
  
“I wasn’t hungry.”

She wasn’t even bothering to keep looking at them at this point, flipping the braids that were up in a heavy ponytail on the side as she swung her bag over her shoulder, and Gil decided to give it one more try, “Uma, are you sure you’re alri—”

“Leave it.”

It hadn’t been said in an angry or disrespectful way, just… dejectedly. And then, Uma was out without a look behind leaving her boys to watch her walk away helplessly. Carlos let out a deep sigh, poking at the remaining of his beef stew with his fork.

“I assume she still hasn’t told you guys anything?”  
  
“Not a single word,” Harry said.  
  
“It’s been like two weeks now, I’m really worried. I’m starting to think someone’s put her under the Imperius Curse to separate her from us so they can attack her later.”

Gil’s unlikely theory made Carlos roll his eyes, “What? Who would do that?”

“I don’t know. Mal?”

Harry shook his head. “Hell no. Do you really think Uma would’ve let herself get cursed without a fight? We would’ve known if something happened with the lizard bitch. And aside from last Sunday when she took ten from Slytherin after Uma _allegedly_ almost knocked a little Gryff unconscious, we haven’t heard of anything.”

“I still can’t believe she didn’t fight back by the way,” Gil said with an underlying tone of amazement.  
  
“That’s how you know it’s serious,” Harry affirmed.  
  
“I wish she’d talk to us. Whatever it is I’m sure we can help.”  
  
“You know Uma, she doesn’t open up that easily unless she feels like she wants to punch somebody,” Harry scoffed, getting a nod of agreement from the blonde Hufflepuff boy. “I guess we just have to wait until she decides to come to us.”  
  
“Which could take basically—”  
  
“Forever.”

Carlos listened to their discussion while doing some thinking of his own. Another hypothesis was slowly taking shape in his mind, and… By Merlin, how could they have not thought of this!

“Guys, do you reckon she might be having _love_ troubles?”

Gil frowned at that. “You mean like…”

“A boyfriend or girlfriend we know nothing about,” the younger boy clarified his thoughts.  
  
“Well, that would’ve been one hell of a secret because I didn’t notice anything.”

Carlos couldn’t help but glare, “Gil, you _never_ notice anything anyway.”

“Hey, that’s not very nice,” the blonde pouted.  
  
“Isn’t he adorable.” Harry pinched his cheek playfully, before he looked back at Carlos. “And now that you mention it, I do know she had the hots for some girl—”  
  
_“What?”_ the freckled boy shouted at the same time his House mate said, “And you’re just saying that _now_?”  
  
“Chill out, I don’t even know who she is! Uma only mentioned it once, unintentionally—”

The Slytherin blue eyed boy began to explain what was said on the day he questioned her about the ball.

“Well, admit it could explain her bad mood,” Carlos said.  
  
“Indeed it would make sense,” Gil agreed.

Afterwards they went on trying to figure out who the secret girl might’ve been – with none of them getting nowhere near her actual identity – until Gil, being Gil, jumped from one subject to another and turned to Carlos.

“Speaking of crushes, have you talked to Jane yet?”

The younger Hufflepuff felt his cheeks grow hot at the mention of the pretty brunette, “N—no I haven’t.”

“Blimey, what are you waiting for, mate?” Harry blurted out, his blue eyes widening. “You know the longer you wait, the lower your chances of her saying yes are, right?”

_Oh Harry Hook, you are such a hypocrite_, Carlos thought, dumbfounded. It was pretty ironic hearing _this_ from the one who _still_ hadn’t told the boy he had a massive crush on – the one who also happened to be sitting right next to him – about his feelings when it’s been what, almost five years? The temptation to call him out was high but thankfully for all of them, he didn’t. And how had the main focus on this conversation moved to him all of a sudden. Weren’t they talking about Uma just two minutes ago?

“I know… I tried but—”  
  
“Did you really?” Harry glared.  
  
“I did! But I… I get so nervous when she’s around.” Carlos blushed harder.

It was true. Every attempt to ask Jane to the ball had turned into a complete disaster. It never failed, each time, his nerves entrapped his guts like the springy tendrils of a vicious Devil’s snare, and because he just couldn’t bring himself to relax he always ended up talking about something stupidly irrelevant, like food, or the weather, and making a total fool of himself. The mere memory of these embarrassing moments made him cringe.

“It’s because you think too much, m’brother. You need to trust your guts.”  
  
“Easier said than done.”  
  
“Nope, that’s only in your head. There she goes. Go over there, now.”

Carlos looked over the place Harry was nodding at and saw Jane stand up from the Hufflepuff table with her friends.

“Harry don’t be silly, I—”  
  
“Carlos De Vil, I’ll only say this once. Get ahold of yourself _right now_, get your ass up and ask this girl out before someone else does. Don’t let me get mad.”

The white haired boy leaned slightly back at the harshness of his tone. “You already look like you’re mad.”

“Carlos—”  
  
“Fine! I’m going.”

This was a terrible idea. Why were his feet still moving in that direction? _Because Harry’s right_. He needed to get this done before someone cut the grass under his feet. And wow, Jane had done her hair really beautifully today. Held up on one side with one of her signature baby blue bows, the rest draping her shoulders and back in rich dark brown waves. Of course he had noticed it before, they did spend the whole morning in the same places. Before he knew it, he had reached the three fourth-year girls.

“Hey, Jane,” he called.  
  
“Carlos, hi!”  
  
“Can I… Hm, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked, scratching the back of his neck.

The two other girls covered their mouths to smother an apparently urgent fit of giggles and quickly headed out.

“Oh dear. Is this about the bubotuber pus I spilled on you in Herbology this morning?” Jane said, speaking very fast. “If so I’m so sorry I swear it was an accident and—”

He had almost forgotten about that. “No, it’s not that I—”

“—I know I’m clumsy—”  
  
“Jane, don’t worry about the pus. You’re fine— I mean it’s f-fine, totally fine. A-actually I wanted t-to tell you so-something.”

Oh boy. It had started. First there was the stuttering, with the burning ears and the crazy heartbeats, and then would come the Devil’s snare-y stomach twist and nervous stupidity would soon come out of his mouth. And Jane looking at him expectantly like this was certainly not helping.

“W-would’ya b-be m’date fo-for the M’llen’lb-ball?”

That kind of stupidity exactly.

“What was that?” Jane asked gently, furrowing her eyebrows in total bewilderment.

The white haired boy groaned in frustration. _Come on, dude_. Hey, Carlos’ dog back home’s name was Dude! Oh how he missed his little furry friend. _No, stupid, now is not the time to thing about a dog!_ He could feel Harry and Gil watching his every move from a distance. They’d give him hell if he came back to the table empty-handed… Carlos shook his head. What the heck. He wasn’t doing this for them, he was doing it for himself! Because he liked Jane a lot and he wanted to take her to the ball. _Okay. Let’s try that again_.

He imagined a bright light invading the depths of his chest, pictured it scaring away the arduous tentacles and took a deep breath.

“Would you be my date for the Millennial Ball?” he repeated, slowly, but understandably. Better. He even found the confidence to add something. “And if you don’t absolutely hate me by the end of it, um, would you consider maybe being more than friends? Maybe?”

And now there was that moment, when the brunette girl was just staring at him with wide eyes, and he just imagined the worst scenario ever.

“When you say ‘more than friends’ you mean like, boyfriend and girlfriend—”

There it was. She would tell him she didn’t feel the same at all and she’ll say no. No, actually, she won’t say anything and run far, far away and leave him here looking dumb by the doors of the Great Hall. The enchanted ceiling will start to rain to mock him and the air will get colder than it already was and—

“—where we can hold hands and go on dates instead of just hanging out with the others all the time? And we can write each other, and I can tell you how great you are? Because, Carlos, you’re really, really great. And I’m— I’m the luckiest girl in the world, you’re so nice and cute!”

_Holy cruppies_.

Did Jane really just say what he thought he heard her say, or rather gush, with the brightest smile on her face? Did he just see her pretty brown eyes twinkle as she called him cute?

“Me too! I am the luckiest girl— I mean guy. Luckiest guy.”

Good goblins. He was so happy he didn’t even know what he was saying, poor thing.

“And well, the ball could be our first date,” he added with enthusiasm.  
  
“That’s perfect.”

But then he remembered something. “Oh but, hm, the ball’s in twenty-three days, until then we…”

“It’s okay. It’s really not that long you know,” the girl stated.

She was amazing.

“Walk with me to Care of Magical Creatures?” Jane offered sweetly.  
  
“Sure!”

He just needed to retrieve his bag at the Slytherin table first.

“Told you it worked. Look at him smiling like an idiot,” Harry said as he nudged Gil with his elbow.  
  
“Shut up,” Carlos mumbled, said smile not leaving his face.  
  
“A _rude_ and _ungrateful_ idiot, that is. Don’t I at least deserve a thank you?”

He did. “Thanks a lot Harry.”

“It was my pleasure, youngin’. Now go flutter around with your fairy.”

Carlos didn’t need to be told twice. He joined Jane by the doors and together they began to make their way outside. Halfway through the walk, his hand found hers and it was amazing how good they fit together. At least, to him. But given the way the brunette smiled at the contact, he wanted to believe that she was thinking the same.

* * *

Harry felt like a proud father watching Carlos leave the Great Hall with Jane. As a matter of fact, that was the exact next thing he said to Gil.

“I’m proud of him, too. That was really nice of you to push him.” The blonde smiled.

Harry shrugged. “Yeah, y’know, sometimes all you need is a good kick in the ass.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

Yes. And he had James Hook to thank for that. “I might be.”

He had absolutely no desire to elaborate on his father’s rather crude vision of advising.

“So how about you, though? You’re out here helping people but have you thought of who you’re going to ask to the ball?” Gil asked, flashing this sweet grin of his that made the butterflies in Harry’s stomach go crazy.

“Hmm well, there’s this guy I’ve had in mind for a while.”  
  
“Ohh, nice. Do I know him?”

_Ah, Gil, Gil, Gil_. This made the Slytherin boy smirk knowingly, as he always did when it came to Gil’s obliviousness. “I don’t know, maybe.”

“Well then whoever it is you should do what you said to Carlos and go for it before it’s too late.”

And that’s when it hit him. Yeah, what if he should?

After four years of not-so-subtle flirting and dropping hints, what if he gave himself a real chance to make things even more wonderful. He had been playing that game for so long, and for what exactly. An unconscious fear of rejection perhaps, that he would ruin their friendship if he ever made a real move? Too much precious time had gone to waste. But with the Millennial Ball coming, he had an opportunity to experience something unique with someone he cared a lot about and it made no doubts in his mind that he didn’t want to share it with no one else but Gil.

He would follow his own advice to a friend and do things right. Harry Hook was done beating around the bush.

“You know what, you’re right. I’ll do it today,” he declared determinedly. His heart started racing in anticipation.  
  
“Yes!” Gil squealed as he clapped his hands.  
  
“Would you go to the ball with me?”

Confusion covered Gil’s face. “Wait. Do you like, need to practice it first?”

Harry let out a little chuckle at how cute that was. “I’m not practicing, Gilly. I’m asking. You. Right now. I want to go to the ball with you.”

And at last it was out.

Harry’s heart was threatening to break out of his ribcage.

“Oh, Harry…”  
  
“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for so long, since, well… since the Dueling Club in first year. I just thought you were so handsome back then and I knew I had to get close to you, and I’m so glad that we’re friends because you’re still handsome and you’re amazing, but I like you as in more than that. I know it’s—”

“Harry,” Gil interrupted the Slytherin boy’s rambling gently. “The answer’s yes.”

Blue eyes instantly lit up. “Really?”

“Yes. Harry, I think you’re amazing too and I love spending time together. I would love to be your date. Though I had no idea you felt this way about me.”  
  
“You know, Carlos is right when he says you never notice anything.”  
  
“Did he know?” The Hufflepuff boy exclaimed in surprise.

Harry had to laugh at that. “Of course! And Uma too. Everyone noticed at some point, except you. But it’s alright, you just made me the happiest wizard alive. You’ll see, we’ll have an amazing time.”

“I know we will. I can’t wait.” That smile was definitely a sight for sore eyes. “I should go before I’m late to Herbology. I’ll see you later?”

“Bet on it.”

Gil made a move to get off the bench but before he rose to his feet, he leaned towards Harry and dropped a tender kiss on his cheek. His whole face heated up and turned red, starting at the exact spot where the other boy’s lips had just been. A little blush had crept up Gil’s face as well, as they gazed into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, afterwards the blonde left.

Walking through the corridors later on, Harry felt like he was on top of the world, like he weighed nothing and nothing could ruin his day. Not even the History of Magic class he was heading to. He wanted to take his wand and send sparkles everywhere, run and jump to the ceiling, scream how happy he was. He couldn’t believe how easy that had been.

He arrived in the classroom to find Uma already sitting at their table and his excitement suddenly died down. Albeit for a split second, he almost forgot all about their situation. Almost ran up to her to share the thrilling news of him finally asking Gil out. She probably would’ve punched him in the arm screaming ‘_About damn time!_’ and he would’ve laughed through the sting because that was what best friends did. But no. They wouldn’t be doing that today. When he settled down next to the aqua haired girl, it was in silence, and she didn’t even tear her eyes from whatever she was scribbling down on a piece of parchment.

For once, Harry was able to resist the natural dreadfulness of the class – and digestion that was making him sleepier than usual – long enough to decide that he had had enough of that. Uma had gone too far down that path and he missed his best friend way too much. It was time for him to work some magic of his own. He had been on a roll today, maybe he could get lucky one more time. When class ended and Uma stood up to leave, the brunette boy’s hand shot up to catch her wrist in a tight grip.

“Let go of me,” she demanded, pulling at her arm in an attempt to free herself.  
  
“No.”

She let out a throaty groan trying to escape him again and threw him a dark look, but Harry was unfazed. Not only was his hold too firm, but the whole I-give-you-the-deadly-eyes stunt had stopped working on him ages ago. He only let go a minute later, after he held on long enough to give her the message that he would talk to her right here and right now whether she wanted it or not. Professor Binns had exited the classroom floating straight through the wall behind his desk, every other student was gone. They were alone. Harry stood up as well and circled the table so that he was right in front of her, intense light blue orbs piercing through troubled chocolate ones.

“Harry, please.” Uma sighed. “I’m not in the mood.”  
  
“That I figured. You’ve been ‘not in the mood’ for days.” The boy did his best not to make that sound too accusatory. “It’s about that girl, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t really a question, because he knew now. He had thought it over throughout History of Magic and things just clicked. Uma’s utter reluctance to reveal who her crush was and her suddenly shutting down without giving him a reason could _not_ not be related.

He hadn’t expected her to confirm or deny straight away though. So he wasn’t surprised when she said, “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“I know you don’t. And I don’t want you to. I mean, yes I do, but only when you’re ready,” Harry responded.  
  
“Harry—”  
  
“No, listen to me.” His tone was soft but assertive, shushing her efficiently. “I can feel that you’re hurting and whatever happened with her, I’m sorry it happened, really. But we’re still here, love. Carlos, Gil and I are just trying to be here for you because you’re our _best friend_ and we hate to see you like this. And you don’t even have to explain just… stop pushing us away.” Her eyes looked away from him, lips pursing, but that didn’t stop him. “We care about you darling and we miss you. Let us in. Or at least, let _me_. I miss my sea witch. I know you know you and I can get through anything.”

He took one of her hands in both of his and brought it up to his face with little to no resistance from her, and pressed his lips to the back of her knuckles, his thumbs fondling her skin softly. It was a little something he sometimes did, a symbolic gesture for when he felt like she was losing sight of how strong and beautiful she was. When he needed her to remember her worth and the worth of their friendship, that her vulnerability was all but weakness and she could lean on him. He, Harry, was safe. She could lean on him because he would never hurt her, ever.

Except that today he wouldn’t stop there. Harry knew before he said them that his next words would shake her to her core. He had never said them before, not like that, and maybe to her it wasn’t a good time, maybe it was too soon, but to him it felt like a necessity, a profound truth he ought to let her know although on many occasions he had showed rather than told. Well now it would be told.

“I love you, Uma.” he whispered, the words rolling off his tongue slowly. Now if only she would look at him so she could see the plea in his sky colored eyes, but alas Uma’s head was still turned. She, at least, did let out a very tiny gasp. “Please come back to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm so sorry, I feel like it's been a long ass time since I last updated but life's been getting in the way. Long story short, I had exams and I spent an awful lot of time on the road (and obviously I don't write and drive so yeah). But anyway, here I am, and I have a few little things to tell you about this chapter.
> 
> When I first got the idea of this story, I knew it would be Umvie centric, but I also knew I wanted to include these scenes of Harry, Carlos and Jay asking their respective crushes out. For some reason it was important to me that I did. How they would merge into the actual plot I wasn't sure, but they had to be there otherwise I wouldn't be satisfied with myself (and self satisfaction is a very important part of your well-being, kids). So basically, what happened after I finished writing the last chapter (that one that got y'all hating me.......*sniffs*) is that I saw a Kit Kat commercial on TV... and that "Have a break, have a Kit Kat" spoke to me in more ways than one. Well first of, my fat ass went out to buy some Kit Kats right away, and on my way back home I told myself, 'Hold on. Yep, that's what we'll do. We'll take a break from all the Umvie drama to see how our favorite boys are doing, then come back to them later.'
> 
> And then boom, this chapter was born. And yes, I did shamelessly took that scene of Carlos asking Jane out from D2 because I thought it was awesome.
> 
> So I hope you don't mind too much. Don't worry, we still have a long road ahead of us with our ladies Uma and Evie. But you have to be loving Harry and Gil too otherwise you wouldn't be here. And Jay and Carlos of course because they're adorable little beans and they ALL deserve to shine!
> 
> Thanks for your patience anyway. And the feedback. And everything else. I really appreciate y'all.  
See you next chapter ;)  
Xoxoxo


	8. Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW : homophobia.

_“I love you, Uma. Please come back to me.”_

Harry didn’t linger in the History of Magic classroom after that but deep down, Uma wished he did. She didn’t like the bite of the cold on her skin after he let go of her hand, nor did she like the sound of the door slamming shut as he left.

She was well aware of her pride and stubbornness, the very things that stopped her from running after him right away and tell him not to leave her. In fact, Uma wasn’t used to have someone care about her as much as Harry did. Well, there sure was her mother, who did prove she cared however was no less proud. The Slytherin girl highly doubted that Ursula would’ve pulled something like that if she was there.

_“I love you, Uma.”_

She wasn’t used to that either. And Harry had been right to assume it would shake her because it did. She hardly slept that night due to too much thinking.

_“Please come back to me.”_

So come back, she did. The next morning, the boy didn’t hide his surprise upon finding the turquoise haired girl in the Slytherin common room when he came out of his dormitory, heading for breakfast, and even more surprised when he realized she had actually been waiting for him. Looking exhausted, but she was there.

“Hi, darling,” he said cautiously.

Uma didn’t really know the proper way to get to this, if there even was one. Was there some kind of introduction or greeting she had to do or… Ugh, why was she so bad at this. _Ah, fuck it_, she thought. It was Harry, he (almost) knew her like the back of his hand. He would understand a little bluntness from her. So she took a deep breath, and said, “I love you, too.”

That actually turned out to be easier than she thought. Harry let out a relieved sigh, slowly closed the distance between them. He carefully wrapped his arms around her back and she let him, realizing how much she needed that comfort. She had been feeling so cold these past weeks – literally and figuratively – she welcomed the warmth from that embrace like an oasis after a long journey through the desert.

Okay, maybe that was _a bit_ far-fetched. But for real, that was how she felt.

Uma let herself rest against him, first her head on his shoulder then her whole body, and for the first time in three-ish weeks she allowed herself to ease some pressure. To breathe. And damn, did that feel good. So good she closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry. You were right, I shouldn’t have pushed you guys away. And you were also right about… about…”

Ah, yes. Evie.

No matter how hard she had tried, she hadn’t been able to get over it. It was impossible when nearly everything in this castle reminded her of the Ravenclaw brunette in some kind of way. In Transfiguration class, where they were studying a spell she helped Evie with the previous year. Potions class, Evie’s favorite subject. Anyone who bore a prefect badge. The library who just reminded her of Evie’s passion for books and their very first encounter. And the worst of all, Mal, with her stupid face, whom she saw almost everyday but who was unfortunately still Evie’s best friend and she knew they spent most of their free time together.

Uma seriously missed the time when some of this time was dedicated to her and it was painful. Besides, until this day the memory of this Adrian dude asking Evie out still haunted her.

It was basically mental torture. Why couldn’t she just let that _out._

“Are you in love with her?” Harry stroked her back soothingly.

Good question.

Getting her proud self to admit and accept that she loved Evie despite everything that happened between them had already been tricky enough. Uma had just figured she had to stop fooling herself at some point. But this right here… She had no clue. How could she. She didn’t know a thing about being in love. She had never loved someone like that before.

“I don’t know.”

It was an honest answer, that Harry accepted with no complain. “Alright. It’s alright.” That was one of the things she adored about him. There was no need for much talking to be done.

Uma stayed silently in the safety of her best friend’s arms for another minute or two, before declaring she was hungry and when the two Slytherins went down to the Great Hall, it almost felt like nothing had changed.

The smile on Gil’s face when he saw them eating and making small talk was so pure and precious that Uma regretted having been so distant for so long. Oh, how she had missed her two little goofballs… who apparently were_ a thing_ now?

“Harry asked you out?” the turquoise haired girl hissed after she practically choked on her piece of sausage.  
  
“He did!” Gil glowed with happiness.  
  
“Holy fucking—” Uma’s mouth fell open, then she glared at the blue eyed boy. “Finally!”  
  
“Told you she would say something like that,” Harry said to Gil with a shrug, but the way he grinned afterwards discredited his nonchalance.

Carlos was in a same state of mind when they met with him at lunch, and even though she could see how badly they wanted to ask questions she appreciated that they didn’t.

Much later in the night, Uma was still in the common room long after Harry had gone to bed, for she wasn’t feeling sleepy at all at the moment. Settled in the corner of the couch that was closest to the fire, she had her nose buried in a fascinating book about Scandinavian sea myths that she had found in the library earlier during the week. She was in the middle of a chapter about the Kraken when she heard light footsteps approaching. Looking up, she saw it was CJ Hook, in her burgundy red and black stripped pajamas, golden hair in a single loose braid and carrying a sleepy purring Croc against her chest.

“It’s late, what are you doing here?” Uma asked.  
  
“I can’t sleep,” CJ told her. “Can I stay here with you?”  
  
“Uh, if you want.”

CJ plopped down on the couch across from her with her cat on her lap and didn’t say a word for the next few minutes, while Uma brought her attention back to her book. From the corner of her eye, she could see the younger girl watching her as she absently stroked between Croc’s ears. _Okay, weird_, she found herself thinking. Did she really come all the way here just to watch her read?

Of course not. A short moment later, CJ broke the ice. “You and my brother are talking again.”

“Who said we stopped?” Uma glanced up and frowned.

CJ gave her an unimpressed look. “Please. It was just as plain as the nose on your face that you two were on the outs.”

“No we weren’t,” Uma said defensively. “We just had a little, um, slowdown, that’s all. But it’s all good now.”  
  
“If you say so.” The blonde girl shrugged, and quickly bounced to her next question. “How did you two become so close anyway? I mean, you’re freaking dope and he’s… well, him.”

Uma scoffed. “You might not see it but Harry’s actually great. But if you really wanna know, it was all because of Mal Dracorys.”

There was a slight flick in CJ’s light brown orbs and she squirmed on the couch, startling Croc who protested loudly. “Oh, that Gryffindor chick? I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. My friend Celia told me that her sister told her that you guys fight all the time.”

“Not all the time, only when it’s necessary.”  
  
“How come?”  
  
“Because she hates me and I hate her.”  
  
“Why?”

Damn. Uma knew kids tended to ask a lot of pointless questions but this was reaching levels. “What’s up with you girl, is this an interrogation?”

CJ smirked, “No, I just _love_ drama.”

Uma sneered at that. The little girl was bold, she had to give her that. It was part of the reason why she took a liking to her in the first place in spite of Harry’s biggest efforts.

“Fair enough. Well, if you want the whole story…” Uma closed her book, set it down on her lap and leaned forward to rest her elbows on it. “Me and her weren’t always like this.”

The blonde settled more comfortably as well, moving Croc again who meowed annoyingly, obviously tired of being disturbed in his attempt to sleep. But CJ was too impatient to care.

“What do you mean?”  
  
“We were actually on track to become friends,” Uma started.

  * ** Flashback**

_It was quite normal for a young witch or wizard to be excited when came the time to start attending Hogwarts. But eleven-year-old Uma decided that ‘excited’ was an understatement to describe how she truly felt when she went to Diagon Alley to buy her school supplies. She had already been there many times when she was younger with her mother, watching with envy students going from shop to shop to purchase their required items and eagerly waiting for the moment her time would come. That time was finally here._

_Since summer was the peak season for the restaurant, Ursula couldn’t afford to be gone for a whole morning so she offered that Uma tagged along with Ariel, a nice woman from a nearby village who had homeschooled her for five years and who also happened to have a daughter who went to Hogwarts. The girl, Melody, would be starting her sixth year, although when they got to Diagon Alley the older girl quickly ditched them to meet her friends causing Uma to do most of her shopping with Ariel only._

_The woman took her to get her robes first – an amazingly quick fitting, that was. Madam Malkin did not mess around – then her cauldron, brass scales and telescope, basic potion equipment, parchment, quills and ink – Uma even sneaked a bottle of invisible ink in her cart – then her books – she let Ariel carry them. Way too heavy – and last but not least, her wand. That ‘fitting’ took longer than the clothes, but after twenty-five minutes her match had been found. Ebony, phoenix feather, ten and a half inches, quite flexible._

_The only thing that was on her mind all along was how she couldn’t wait to put this little baby to use. The little magic she had been able to perform so far had become way too limited to her liking, she was craving for real stuff._

_Ursula, being who she was, had taken the opportunity of her daughter going to Diagon Alley to get her to run some errands for her. Which was why, while Ariel had something to handle at Gringotts, Uma was now heading to Eeylops Owl Emporium to get a dewormer for stupid Flotsam who had… well, worms eating his guts. As she wandered around the little shop looking at the variety of owls perched just about anywhere, the young witch strongly wished she could afford to get one of her own. Flotsam and Jetsam really gave her the creeps. But also, how great would that be, to make the useful fun and have her own little faithful companion._

One day_, she promised herself._

_“Interesting creatures, aren’t they?”_

_The voice had come from Uma’s left, but if took her a second to realize that it was speaking to her, since she was the only one in that section of the shop. A girl who seemed to be around Uma’s age was standing there. Her hair was a very pale shade of blonde, for an almost equally pale skin, and her eyes a green so intense, seemingly glowing in the dark shop, that Uma had some trouble holding her gaze at first._

_And then she remembered, the girl had asked an actual question. “Um, yeah, I guess they are.”_

_“Dragons are better, if you ask me,” the blonde continued – though Uma hadn’t asked her at all – with a little dismissive shrug. “But imagine how messy it would be to use a dragon to deliver your Christmas cards.” For some reason the girl chuckled. _Must be some kind of inside joke_, Uma thought, a bit confused. “Mother and Father already own like ten of them but since I start school this year they said I can get my own.”_  
  
_ “Dragon?”_  
  
_ “No, owl of course!”_

_Uma was still unsure as to why this stranger had randomly decided to keep talking to her, all while questioning the purpose of one having ten-soon-to-be-eleven owls at home. However, she could easily tell by the clothes the girl was wearing and the way she spoke, that she had the kind of Galleons that Ursula and her would probably never be able to save even after a lifetime working at the restaurant. “That’s great, um. Congrats?”_

_“Thank you,” the girl said in an elegant way. “My name is Mal by the way. Mal Dracorys. And you?”_   
  
_ “I’m Uma.”_   
  
_ “Just Uma?”_

_For obvious reasons, unless she didn’t have a choice, Uma never revealed her last name. “Just Uma.”_

_“Hmm.” Mal frowned, looking quite displeased at her lack of involvement, but dropped the issue anyway. “Well, Uma, are you buying an owl too?” But then she spotted the boxes of owl dewormer in the dark skinned girl’s hands. “Or I suppose you already have one. Is it sick?”_

_“They’re my mom’s, and yes. One of them caught some kind of parasite so she asked me to get this.” Uma rolled her eyes heavily. “Though if it was up to me I’d let him get devoured.”_

_“I take it you don’t like him very much.” Mal winced._   
  
_ “Hell no. He’s rude and ugly,” Uma explained._

_Mal seemed amused by the response. It made Uma feel more at ease._

_“So I assume you’re also going to Hogwarts,” the blonde girl said._   
  
_ “Yes. I can’t wait!”_   
  
_ “Neither can I. I wonder which House I’ll get sorted into. I’m hoping Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, these are the best. But you can never really tell, right?”_

_Though that was highly true, Uma had a feeling she would be in Slytherin. Both Ursula and her evil sister had been Slytherins, and whilst she loathed one, she sort of admired the other. But the Sorting was actually the only thing she was genuinely nervous about: her full name would be called out loud in front of hundreds of people and from experience that didn’t always end well._

_“Yeah, right,” was all she said to hide it away._   
  
_ “Mal, have you chosen? We don’t have all day,” a stern female voice suddenly called from the front of the shop._   
  
_ “Yes Mother!” Mal shouted back, then flashed a gentle smile at Uma. “I guess I’ll see you on September the first. Try not to kill your mom’s owls until then.”_   
  
_ “Can’t promise that.” Uma smirked._

_Seeing Mal leave, Uma decided it was her cue to pay for the medicine and go. And just in time, because when she came out onto the busy street, Ariel was also back from the bank and announced she was in the mood to buy a round of ice creams for everybody, meaning herself, Uma, Melody and her group of friends. The younger girl spent that whole time watching the teenagers interact. What kid never worried about making friends in a new school. Having been homeschooled her whole life, it was the very first time that Uma felt like this. Most of the kids she used to hang out with were the children of Ursula’s friends (and there weren’t much of those). Meeting Mal in the owl shop felt more like a stroke of luck now._

  * ** End of flashback**

“So you guys sat together in the Hogwarts Express?”  
  
“Yup,” Uma said popping the ‘p’. “And the Minister’s son too since they’re best buds. We had a good time, y’know. I really thought we could make it.”  
  
“How did things flip?”  
  
“Take a guess.”

CJ hummed in thought for a second then her eyes widened, “Ah, the Sorting?”

The turquoise haired girl nodded her head slowly, “The week after, actually.”

  * ** Flashback**

_Misunderstanding. Anger. Humiliation beyond everything she knew._

_That was what Uma felt as she stood in the middle of the corridor leading to the dungeons, soaked from head to toes and covered in shrimp. Raw, slimy, stinky shrimp, probably rotten, too, that stuck to her hair and her robes. The smell was unbearable._

_The perpetrator of this nasty trick hadn’t waited to let themselves acknowledged, and the young Slytherin girl would’ve liked to say she was hallucinating. But no. The person she saw was definitely…_

_“Mal?”_

_The blonde girl was in front of her with her arms crossed. Behind her, an embarrassed looking Ben and an older Gryffindor student who had his wand out, the one that was used to cast the Levitation charm that carried the bucket of crap that spilled over her head. The scene had all the other students nearby stopping everything they were doing to watch the drama unfold, but that was probably how Mal had wanted this. Her eyes showed no sign of sympathy at all, only utter repugnance. She was unrecognizable._

_“You really had everyone here fooled, didn’t you?” she said with disdain._   
  
_ “What are you talking about? Why did you do this?”_   
  
_ “I knew your face was familiar from the moment I saw you but until last week I couldn’t quite figure it out. But now I know. You’re a Triskelion.” Mal spat the name like it was leaving the foulest taste in her mouth. “You’re related to the psycho Death Eater who killed my brother!”_

_Uma felt like she was caught in the middle of a tidal wave. Her heart was pounding. That was what she had been fearing from the beginning, although certainly not something of this magnitude. Heck, Mal had never even mentioned a brother! And Uma hadn’t kept track of Morgana’s victims either so how could she have known._

_“Your—”_  
  
_ “Did you honestly think you’d be able to keep this a secret?”_  
  
_ “Look, I swear I didn’t know about your brother and I’m really sorry but–”_  
  
_ “You’re sorry? My brother was a respectable wizard with a prestigious life ahead of him. He was brilliant, and kind. Murdered in cold blood by your crazy_ aunt_ before he reached his twenties and all you have to say is you’re _sorry_? You must be as twisted as her.”_  
  
_ “You’ve lost your damn mind, I am_ nothing_ like her!” Uma snapped feeling more and more enraged by the second. “What the hell Mal, I thought we were—”_  
  
_ “Friends? Please.” Mal scoffed dryly. “I could never be friends with someone like you. This is not even the quarter of what you deserve for what your family did to mine. You can claim that you’re different all you want but at the end of the day your blood is infested, filthy and rotten just like this shrimp. That’s what you’ll forever be to me. Uma the shrimp girl. Or should I say Shrimpy, now?”_

_There was nothing but hate in her speech, above a layer of hurt and unresolved grief. “Consider yourself warned.”_

_Mal walked away with her head high, followed by most of the other students, and Uma was left there seeing red, crushed by the weight of this betrayal, watching the girl leave with her jaw clenched. Feeling angry tears sting her eyes, Uma yanked one last shrimp out of her hair and decided that she would never forgive this. Whatever it was that had started between her and Mal, it was definitely over. That snooty little bitch had just made herself an enemy._

_“I’ll help you burn every single hair of her ugly bulbous head it you let me.”_

_She recognized the voice of Harry Hook behind her back. She didn’t turn around to see that his azure eyes were also throwing daggers in the same direction._

_But she could feel it and that was all it took. “Gladly.”_

  * ** End of flashback**

“Harry and I had already talked a little bit before this, but after that day he really stuck by my side. And now we’re here.”

Uma leaned back in her seat, sign that she was done with her story. She almost laughed at the shocked expression on CJ’s face as the girl soundlessly gawked at her.

“What a fucking bitch,” she spoke at last.

One of Uma’s eyebrows arched up. “I agree but aren’t you a little young to be talking like that?”

“Pfff. You sound like my sister Harriet.” CJ rolled her eyes. “So did you guys really burn her hair or not?”  
  
“Oh, no. I did much better.” The turquoise haired girl smirked recalling her duel with Mal.  
  
“What was it?” CJ asked eagerly.

Nope. Uma wouldn’t fall into that trap a second time. “Nuh-huh. Story time’s over kiddo.” She stood up in one swift jump and flipped her braids back, book under her arm.

“But I’m still not sleepy,” CJ protested as she pouted.

But the older Slytherin girl was already almost out as she said, “Neither am I. G’night.”

* * *

The wind and chilly haze of sleet persisted into December, bringing with it a good amount of snow, but also a nice reminder that Christmas, and the Millennial Ball were getting nearer and this simple fact brought almost as much warmth as the fires burning within Hogwarts’ thick walls. Eagerness and excitement were palpable among the student body, unfortunately counterbalanced by an avalanche of homework that kept everyone from rejoicing too much.

It was December, and a particularly tough time for the prefects who had a lot on their plates. Adding on to their own school work, cold weather meant more people staying indoors during breaks, hence more people to watch, and were required to supervise the Christmas decorating of the castle – and even for some of them, the ball. Evie was just glad she wasn’t one of them because it would’ve been too much.

Whenever someone asked how she was doing, she just gave out smiles and said she was great because it was how she was supposed to be feeling. She should be sharing the festive mood. But the truth was, Evie was not feeling festive at all and it was astonishing how no one saw through the mask of her apparent cheerfulness. It was December and Evie had been wearing that mask for the past twenty-two days.

It was twenty-two days ago since Evie last felt like herself.

The brunette had now understood every aspect of the phrase ‘you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone’. Now that she had had a taste, it was frankly impossible for her to get back to a stage of her life where Uma wasn’t in it. The feelings she had for the girl were too strong to be disregarded at will and to be reminded of the reason why they weren’t talking every time she looked in the mirror made everything a hundred times worse.

Ironically, it seemed like it was now that they weren’t talking that Evie saw Uma the most around the castle. Just looking at her hurt like hell, because she wasn’t her normal self either and Evie knew it was all her fault.

Evie wished she could say she did everything in her power to fix the situation. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like she could randomly pop up in front of Uma in the corridors and drag her into an empty room. It was the rule they had established together. So she had sent letters. Short ones and longer ones. All begging for Uma to accept to talk to her. And while she knew the girl received them – the good thing about using owl post in school was that the mail always reached its destination – she never got a response so she kind of just… gave up?

It didn’t change the fact that she missed the Slytherin girl like crazy. The heart-shaped pendant that she wore religiously day and night under her clothes seemed to weigh a ton, chain icy against her skin. Twenty-two days without Uma, without getting lost into the beautiful, mysterious chocolate eyes of her Captain felt like a torturous eternity.

To say the least, Evie had been pretty miserable for twenty-two days. And for that reason, some nights were harder than others.

Like this one.

It was one of those moments when shadows darkened her dreams and wouldn’t let her close her eyes. When her bed felt too small and the dormitory suffocating. So she was in the deserted common room, on the blue divan that she had moved across the room with a nonverbal Levitation spell so it was placed right by the window and she sat there, finally able to be sad in peace. Legs folded against her chest, arms hugging her knees, Evie gazed out onto the dark night sky that was particularly clear tonight. She intended for her mind to go numb.

The creaking sound of the main door opening snapped her back into reality, followed by the hiss of whispering voices. Evie could only assume they were younger students coming back from their Astronomy class. Such a bad timing though. She quickly turned her head further away. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice her sitting here and she’d go back to—

“Evie?” said a familiar little voice.

_No please, not now._

Heavens knew how much she loved Dizzy but now was not a good time.

Yet she turned to acknowledge her, putting her cheerful mask back on as best as she could. “Hey, baby. How was Astronomy?”

“Alright, I guess. We mostly studied Jupiter and its moons.” Dizzy then narrowed her eyebrows like she studied the older girl’s face closely. “Evie, are you okay?”  
  
“Yeah, why?”  
  
“You’re by yourself in the common room at one in the morning. And your eyes are looking a little funny,” Dizzy pointed out.

And by funny she meant unfocused and glossy with unshed tears. She unfortunately couldn’t cover that.

“Have you been crying?”

Not even.

“You should go to sleep.” Evie ignored the question.  
  
“No, you’re upset,” Dizzy insisted as she sat down.  
  
“Dizzy please—”  
  
“I don’t like to see you upset. Tell me, maybe I can help you.”

Evie sighed deeply, lowering her head. How could Dizzy possibly help her with her situation. She couldn’t. Maybe that was why the older brunette ended up telling her.

“I messed up with someone I really care about and now we don’t talk anymore.”  
  
“Are they a friend of yours? Is it Mal?” the younger Ravenclaw girl inquired.  
  
“No, it’s not Mal.”  
  
“Is it someone, uh, _more_ than that?”

Between her thighs and her chest, Evie’s hand closed around the pendant through her pajama shirt and clutched it tightly, and nodded her head ever so slightly in approval.

“We had a fight because of something I did,” the brunette revealed in a sad whisper.  
  
“Then go and apologize,” Dizzy said.

_As if._ “If only it was that simple.”

“Sometimes it is that simple.”  
  
“Not this time. I was mean and the things I said were so awful. I did try to apologize and explain but she won’t even—”

Realizing her slip up one millisecond too late, Evie clasped her hands to her mouth, eyes widening in panic.

“She?” Dizzy repeated softly though her face displayed a great surprise. “Evie, do you—”

And just like that, Evie broke.

All the hidden emotions and unspoken frustration, all the pain she had kept bundled up inside her for twenty-two days came out in a sudden burst of tears.

“Oh no, Evie! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Dizzy said, rushing to pull a handkerchief out of her pocket and wrapped her arms around the sobbing brunette.

Uncontainable, the tears just kept falling and falling, soaking Dizzy’s robes. Her nose was running, gross, everything she hated but she couldn’t help it. If it wasn't for Dizzy holding onto her torso, she probably would’ve fallen on the floor because her body didn’t seem to be able to support its own weight anymore. And she cried, and cried, and cried, because she hadn't for the past twenty-two days and she needed it.

It took several minutes for her to calm down.

“I’m a disaster, Dizzy.” Her voice was low and croaky, punctuated with shaky gasps. “My whole life my mother fed me with these fantasies of me falling in love with a handsome man, of how we’ll get married and live in a big mansion with a bunch of kids. I used to think it was the only way it could be… but now there’s this girl and every time I was with her all I could hear was my mother’s voice in my head telling me how wrong I was for having feelings for her.”

Merlin’s beard. How messed up was she to be finding solace in pouring her heart out to a twelve-year-old like this.

“Why would you hear your mother say that?” Dizzy asked carefully.  
  
“Because that’s what she said the first time.”  
  
“You loved a girl before?”

Evie let out a saddened sigh as she looked down. “Yes. Her name was Tara.”

  * ** Flashback**

_Like nearly every summer, Evie spent the two last weeks of July and the two first weeks of August at her stepfather’s country house. She loved it there. Always enough books to keep her entertained for a whole month, plenty of space outside to play with her stepsister Snow when she was in the mood for it, or for barbecues, and her favorites: picnics by the river._

_In the neighboring area was a small ranch that her mother always told her to stay away from, claiming horses were gross, smelly and the best way to get dirty nails, calloused hands, dry skin and dusty hair. Evie hadn’t minded, she had never really been interested in horse riding anyway._

_And then she met Tara._

_It happened when Evie was twelve years old. She had taken a nine-year-old Snow on yet another picnic and they were on their way back to the house when they were alerted by the thumping sound of galloping horses. Turning around they both saw, with horror, two horses coming towards them at great speed, the second one ridden by someone who was obviously chasing after the first in order to catch it. Snow screamed, and Evie barely had the time to grab her and pull her to the side before the rider – a teenage girl – managed to seize the reins of the runaway horse, preventing a severe impact._

_But Evie still ended up being hit, by the girl’s beauty. Creamy white skin sprinkled with little freckles over her nose and cheekbones, and large, keen blue eyes. Wild strands of red hair escaped from her black riding hat. She was a little out of breath but sat straight astride a stately chestnut horse, visibly relieved that nobody got hurt as she apologized for ‘Blade’s behavior’ (‘_That wimp got scared by a squirrel and ran off_.’). But Evie was too absorbed by her smile to pay much attention to her words._

_The next day, for the first time, Evie went to the ranch with a big piece of apple pie she had made herself, under the purpose of thanking the girl for saving her and Snow. When in reality, she just wanted to see her again. Her mother had been right about something though: the stables were smelly and dusty, totally inadequate for the summer dress and sandals she was wearing. Doing her best to keep her feet clean, Evie found a stable boy, and asked for the girl with red hair. ‘_Oh, you mean Tara?_’ had he said. ‘_She’s the owner’s niece. Last time I saw her she was in heading to the tack room._’. And Evie went just there with knots in her stomach._

_With her head free of her riding hat, the first thing Evie saw of Tara was the flaming red of her hair that barely reached her shoulders, and she couldn’t help but be in awe at how gorgeous that color was. First surprised to see her there, the girl eventually ended up eating the half of the piece of pie and gave Evie a tour of the stables. They were the same age, the brunette learned, though she’s been horse riding since she was five and just like herself, she spent most of her summers here at her uncle’s stables (‘_Crazy how I’ve never seen you before_.’)_

_That summer, Evie became friends with the pretty Muggle redhead from the stables, Tara, who enjoyed early morning rides with her fellow stallion Ace, who liked jumping in the mud after a rainy day, who only wore dresses on Sundays to go to church, and who could easily eat her weight in peanut butter. She took her first riding lessons and to her surprise it wasn’t that bad. Horses weren’t that gross – though her mother almost had a heart attack at the sight of her nails – and Tara was a great teacher. Or maybe, Tara was just great and Evie enjoyed just about any activity they did together even if it eventually ended up ruining her favorite shoes. Everything with Tara felt like a new adventure. In a way, the girl herself was an adventure, one that Evie was more than thrilled to live._

_She always wished she could tell the girl everything about her own real-life adventure. About her world, her magic, about Hogwarts and all the wonderful things she had seen and learned so far. But that, alas, was unconscionable. Too risky. The very last thing she wanted was to scare her friend away._

_The next summer, it was with an overwhelming joy that Evie found out that Tara was spending yet another few weeks at the stables. She felt more things when they were together, too. Like the fluttering in her stomach whenever the redhead girl smiled at her, or the goosebumps on her skin when she took her hand. Tara called her ‘pretty’ and ‘cute’ on numerous occasions, and every single time it made Evie’s thirteen-year-old heart go crazy in more ways than one. All these foreign feelings that, Evie noticed, were quite similar to what she was told by her mother about romantic love, to what was described by the heroines from her romance novels. None of them ever mentioned girls loving other girls and all sort of thoughts ran through Evie’s mind at all times. Was it usual? What if she was mistaken? Could Tara even be into her that way? A million different questions kept repeating, but they all melted away when one day, as if a light from the high skies shone down on her, she felt brave and impulsive enough to tell Tara how she felt._

_That same day, they kissed for the first time. It was shy, hesitant and a little awkward, not at all like what she read in her story books. So they did it again, and again, and again. Until it began to feel like a dream to Evie. Her first kiss, her first love. A whole new kind of magic. So powerful. It was with a girl and she had absolutely no issue with that. It felt right, it was amazing to be able to feel this way about another person. Also a little scary, but amazing overall._

_Surprisingly, it was Tara who told her not to tell anyone and Evie agreed with no questioning. She liked the idea of their blooming romance being a secret. And for two weeks, it was just fantastic. Until that dreadful night when Regina found out._

_Evie had returned home at curfew, like every other time. And like every other time, Tara had walked her to the gate and given her a long and sweet goodnight kiss (or several), ending yet another dreamlike moment spent together as _girlfriends_. When she pushed the front door, however, she was far from imagining the dire turn things would take._

_“Evalyn.”_

_Evie flinched. That wasn’t a good sign. Her mother only called her full name when she was very angry with her. It didn’t happen that often during her childhood, but those certainly weren’t her best memories. And indeed the woman did look angry. Her delicate mature and well-maintained features rearranged into a frown of deep displeasure, the kind that made it difficult to look her in the eyes, and a cold chill traveled down Evie’s spine._

_She gulped. “Yes Mommy?”_

_“What was _that_?” The woman’s tone was dry and pitiless._

_“What was what?”_   
  
_ “Don’t you give me this silly act. I saw you out there with that girl! Why were you two kissing?”_

_Evie released the breath she had been holding, a little nervous. So it was that. Fine then, maybe it was time to break the secrecy around her relationship with Tara. But if it was, indeed, just that, why was her mother so mad?_

_“Answer me!” Regina rose her voice threateningly. “Why were you kissing her?”_   
  
_ “B-because I l-like her, she’s m-my girlf—”_   
  
_ “No you don’t! That’s disgusting, you can’t do things like this!”_

_The words were harsh and Evie was seriously uncomfortable at this point. “Like wh-what Mommy?”_

_“Girls don’t like or kiss other girls, it’s wrong! You hear me? Very wrong!”_   
  
_ “But I d-don’t underst-tand… wh-why?”_

_WHAP!_

_The pain was sharp, burning like hot coals on Evie’s cheek, and the gold rings that Regina liked to wear so much – she would notice it later on – left a small bruise that she would have to cover with makeup for the week that would follow. The violent blow made her lose her balance, left her breathless, had her body trembling with a sudden fright of the woman standing before her._

_Her mother had never laid a hand on her before._

_Evie felt broken and humiliated, tears filled her eyes as she brought a shaking hand to her face. After years of raving about finding love, she would’ve thought Regina would be glad that she found it. She really couldn’t understand what was so wrong about the fact that it was a girl._

_“What a_ shame._ My own daughter. I didn’t raise you to become this obscene.”_

_It took Evie a second to realize she had said that last part out loud. “No!” she screamed desperately through uncontrollable sobs, taking a step back in fear of another slap. “Please, I’m s-s-so sorry Mommy… I-I won’t d-do it again…”_

_“Oh no you won’t, dearest, I can assure you. No child of mine will be this deviant.”_

  * ** End of flashback**

“She forced me to cut all ties with Tara, had me telling her ugly things that I didn’t mean. Then for the next week I was grounded and she kept repeating how disappointed she was and that there was something wrong with me.”

Evie sniffed and wiped her tear-strained face with Dizzy’s handkerchief. “When we came back the next summer, the stables were under a new ownership and I never saw Tara again.”

“Evie, that’s terrible.”

Yes, it had been terrible. She had never forgotten the look on Tara’s face, the hurt in her eyes, with every word that forcefully came out of her mouth. Knowing that her mother was near watching her every move, fearing what the woman might do to her if she slipped.

It was the same look she saw in Uma’s eyes in the Room of Requirement. Her already fragile heart broke a little more every time she thought about it.

“I dated a guy after that because well, I still like them. But nothing serious. And I thought I’d be alright, that I was back to being ‘normal’. Until this girl swooped into my life.”

Images raced through her mind in fast motion. From the moment she asked Uma for tutoring. Their secret sessions…

“I didn’t want to walk that same path again—”

…The letters. The nicknames. The dreams…

“—but I still fell for her—”

…The teasing. The birthday gift. The hair braiding. The song…

“—and when she confessed that she actually liked me—”

…Everything that led to that fateful moment when she had literally been a breath away from her happiness.

“—that memory resurfaced and I freaked out. I rejected her but deep down I knew I didn't mean any of it. I hurt her because I let my mother control me again.”

“Evie, listen to me,” Dizzy demanded, making the older Ravenclaw jump. The girl had taken such a stern tone all of a sudden, determination written all over her young features, enhanced by the way she adjusted her purple glasses on her nose.

“Your mother is the one who’s in the wrong. There’s absolutely _nothing_ abnormal or obscene about girls liking girls. And if you also like boys then it’s alright, too. You love who you love, you don’t choose it. You can’t help it. But it can never be an abnormality.” Her small hand reached to grab Evie’s, squeezing tightly. “I understand that it can be difficult to accept, but it’s _your_ happiness and you deserve every bit of it.”

Evie just listened, amazed, all while wondering when the hell had Dizzy become so mature. Those were things she knew, deep down, but hearing it from someone else hit quite differently.

“You really like that girl and from what I understand she likes you too, right?” It sounded more like an affirmation (because it was one) but Dizzy meant for her to say it out loud.

_“Girls don’t like other girls!”_

_Yes, they do. _I_ do._

“Y-yes,” Evie blew out in a whisper.  
  
“And you want her back, you want to be with her,” her young friend continued more insistently.

And it was with a little more conviction that Evie repeated, “Yes.”

It was an undeniable truth, and this masquerade had to stop. Uma was the one her heart desired and neither herself or her mother could do anything about it.

_“No! It’s wrong!”_

_Shut up._

“Then it’s not too late to fix things. I’m sorry I’m about to say this but screw your mom. She’s not here, she can’t hurt you.”

And for the first time in twenty-two days, Evie smiled, and it was sincere.

Because Dizzy was right. She couldn’t let the story repeat itself and lose Uma like she lost Tara. Her mother wasn’t here, but Uma was and fortunately she couldn’t go anywhere. They were stuck in the same place until the end of the year, after all, therefore all wasn’t lost. And that was it. Her mind was set and she made her decision.

No matter what it took, Evie would get Uma back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's time for these two to get their shit together, what do you say?
> 
> Thanks for the kudos & comments!!!


	9. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiyah! Miss me?  
I feel like I've used more curse words in this than I have in every other chapter. I apologize in advance lmao.
> 
> TW : homophobia.

The next couple of days were a handful.

Opening up about her feelings for Uma and her triggering memory may have been the best but also the worst thing Evie could’ve done. On one hand, by bawling her eyes out the way she did and finally letting out the tsunami of emotions that had been wreaking havoc inside her, she had been so exhausted that she had slept like a hibernating bear, uninterruptedly until the next morning. Truthfully, she would’ve overslept if Bree hadn’t been considerate enough to wake her up before going down to breakfast.

Fortunately for her, years of practice – and a certain woman – had taught her how to select the essentials steps to still be at the top of her game when she was in a rush. The puffiness of her eyes had been nothing a little cold water, a good cream and a concealer spell couldn’t have fixed. As for the slight redness, she could still have blamed it on a surfeit of studying and lack of sleep if necessary and that honestly wouldn’t have been a lie. But fortunately again, no one asked.

The fact remained that Evie did feel incredibly lighter after telling the truth – or at least a part of it. She felt some of that burden being lifted off her shoulders and it gave her the determination to continue along these lines.

But on the other hand it also unleashed the monster, and Evie’s mind had become a battlefield. Her truth versus her mother’s beliefs. From something that occurred only in certain specific moments, it had become an all-time thing now. And perhaps it would’ve been easy to get rid of the memory, had it been more recent. But for _years_, Evie thought she was doing something wrong. That feeling had had much enough time to etch into her, like weeds that were so deeply rooted into the ground that removing it required more resource. The brunette hoped that the mere power of her heart and her will would be enough to overcome it.

The only thing she was sure of was that the outcome would be worth it. Uma was worth that battle.

Getting to the girl wouldn’t be any easier though, Evie knew it. Uma had been avoiding her for weeks so a simple invitation letter would clearly not do. Evie knew she had to think of a cleverer plan if she wanted to break the tension.

But before she got to any of that, there was something else that she needed to do.

Which was why, a few days after talking to Dizzy, she told Mal and Ben to meet her in the trophy room after lunch. Lunch that, by the way, she had barely been able to eat due to nerves. The way her insides twisted and churned all along made her stomach quite unreceptive to any type of food she had attempted to ingest, and it bugged her a lot because there was apple pie and pudding for dessert which were two of her favorites. But she figured she would be free to enjoy all the pies and puddings in the world once she was all through with this.

The sound of the door opening echoed throughout the room.

“Evie, are you in here?” Mal’s voice called from the entrance.  
  
“Yes!” Evie answered from where she had been looking at the badges and plaques of former Ravenclaw Quidditch players.

Her two friends appeared in her eyeline quickly and she granted them with a smile that she wanted relaxed and assured (two things that she was _not_ at the moment). Hopefully that went unnoticed.

“I’m sorry, I won’t be able to stay long.” Mal held up a little piece of parchment she had in her hand, looking slightly embarrassed. “I just got this from Professor McGonagall, she wants to see all the prefects before next period.”

Feeling her smile falter a little but trying not to sound too disappointed, Evie said, “Oh. It’s fine.”

“Why did you want us here? It sounded important. Is everything alright?” Ben asked.  
  
“I needed some place away from prying ears…” the older girl explained quietly. “I need to tell you guys something.”

Mal’s brows furrowed, “You haven’t been expelled, have you?”

“What? No.”  
  
“You’re not sick or dying either?”  
  
“Mal!” Ben exclaimed to stop the girl’s dramatic assumptions.  
  
“What? I’m only trying to rule out the worst-case scenarios,” the blonde justified herself, shooting him a glare.

But far from getting fazed, Ben let out a light chuckle as he ran a soothing hand along his girlfriend’s upper arm. “I know you’re worried babe but you need to let her speak.”

It was obvious Mal wanted to talk back but she refrained herself, instead huffed loudly through her nose with a pout. This kind of interaction was so typical of them, basically the whole dynamic of their relationship even before they started dating. Ben had always been the earthbound and rational one and it often – though definitely not always – helped to keep Mal grounded when she was acting on impulse. It was always a funny little thing to watch to Evie, although she didn’t really feel like laughing at the moment.

“Don’t worry M, it’s not _that_ serious,” Evie added to reassure the girl.  
  
“But it is serious,” Mal said.  
  
“Yeah, pretty much.” The brunette sighed.

The two Gryffindors didn’t say anything this time, waiting for her to talk as they kept their green and brown eyes fixed upon a visibly uneasy Evie. The girl closed her own and inhaled, then exhaled deeply, but when she looked back at them she wasn’t feeling any calmer. It was actually the opposite. Her hands began to shake as she fumbled with the sides of her robes and she could feel her pulse quicken in her temples.

Suddenly she wasn’t so sure about this.

_No, Evie, no. You’re doing it._

Right. She had to get this off her chest. It was an important step. She had to. For her well-being. Besides, there was nothing to be afraid of, wasn’t it? Those were her closest friends, they had always been supportive, and—no, scratch that. She was as terrified as ever before.

“There is something that I, um, I’ve been keeping secret… for a while now… and that I want—need to share with you.”

No turning back now.

The Ravenclaw girl took yet another deep breath. “You guys remember when I started third year and you your second and I told you I had spent the worst summer of my life?”

“Yeah, you were really sad. But you told me it was because your cat died,” Mal recalled in utter confusion.  
  
“Well, yeah, Ottie did die. But it’s not the only thing that happened...”

And at last, Evie told them. Everything. From meeting Tara, her crush on the redhead Muggle girl and the relationship that followed, to her mother lashing out at her and forcing her to break up, as well as the trauma that resulted. She watched as slight shock gradually draped Mal and Ben’s faces, Mal who literally covered her mouth when Evie got to the part when she was slapped and Ben who grunted. Meanwhile, the brunette prided herself for not crying as she shared the story for the second time. It was a very long shot.

“—basically what I’m saying is that, um, well, I… am bisexual.”

The words rolled off her tongue hesitantly, like they were made of glass with edges so sharp that she was at risk of cutting her mouth badly is she mishandled them. The pace her heart was pounding at in her chest was borderline unbearable, fists balled up tightly around her robes.

But at the very least, she said it. And if she was honest, it felt quite… liberating.

“_That’s disgusting!_”

_No. No. No. This is who you are, girl. You will say it loud and you will say it proud._

“I’m bisexual,” Evie repeated, and this time indeed there was more confidence in her voice.

_I must not be afraid anymore._

“_It’s wrong!_”

_Not as wrong as you, Mommy._

Ben and Mal were watching her in hushed amazement but she honestly couldn’t blame them. Even she would be surprised if one of her close friends unexpectedly dropped this kind of bombshell. So she waited, nauseously, for any kind of answer.

“Oh, gosh, E,” Mal said after a minute. The Gryffindor girl pulled her best friend into a tight hug. “I wish I’d known. I would’ve helped you get through this.”

Ben joined and wrapped his arms around Evie from the other side, so that she was caught in the middle of them. “Me too, I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

Eyelids falling down, muscles relaxing, Evie exhaled deeply as she rejoiced in the embrace. This had gone a lot better than she had expected – whatever it was that she had been expecting. First Dizzy, now them… So that was what it felt like to be accepted. The delight and relief she felt were overwhelming.

“Just so you know, that doesn’t change anything. We love you no matter what,” Mal said when she pulled away. Her eyes screamed truth and it warmed Evie’s heart.

Ben was no different. “I’m happy that you were comfortable enough to tell us. That takes courage.”

“How do you feel?” Mal asked fondly, squeezing one of Evie’s hands in hers.  
  
“Honestly? Like I’m going to be sick. I was so scared of your reaction. I mean, after my mom…”  
  
“Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who think like your mother and I’m not sure you can avoid them all,” Ben told her matter-of-factly. “But as long as you keep in mind that there’s nothing abnormal about you.”  
  
“Please do. You’re truly amazing E, no matter who you date.” The blonde Gryffindor girl smirked teasingly. “Are you _seeing_ anyone, by the way?”

Evie choked on her own saliva.

“Okay, you know what, save that for later. I’ve got to go. McGonagall,” Mal reminded the two of them. _Phew, that was so freaking close_, Evie thought, sighing as she nodded. Mal pecked her cheek gently. “I’m so, so proud of you. And I love you.”  
  
“Thank you. I love you, too. See you!”

Mal walked out in a hurried step, leaving her best friend and boyfriend in the stuffed trophy room. Evie watched her absently until she disappeared behind the thick wooden door and onto the corridor.

“Evie?” Ben called, gaining her attention. “Why do I get the feeling that it doesn’t end here?”  
  
“Because it doesn’t.” The girl blurted out faster than she intended. “I—um. Th-there actually is someone.”  
  
“Oh dear Merlin.” Ben shook his head while rubbing his temples with his thumb and middle finger. “Don’t tell me it’s Mal, because if she had to choose between you and me I’m not sure she’d still pick me.”  
  
“It’s not—what?” More like what the hell?  
  
“I’m just joking,” the Gryffindor boy said.  
  
“Uh,” Evie scoffed, not quite sure whether she found this funny or not. “Okay. Well it’s not Mal anyway.”  
  
“That’s awesome then! Who’s the lucky lady?” Ben winked.  
  
“That’s when it gets complicated…” Evie gulped. “It’s Uma.”

And _that_ was for bombshell number two.

Ben looked as if something very heavy had just fallen on his head, mouth falling wide open and eyes rounder than dinner plates. “U-U-Uma…? Like, _Uma_, as in—”

“That one, yes. Unless you know another?”  
  
“No, no of course, I’m just— Sorry this is huge. How did you and Uma even…” He made a strange gesture with his two hands to finish his sentence.  
  
“A few days after Mal and her dueled last year, I went to find her and asked her to tutor me in Transfiguration.”  
  
“You… Wait. You did what now?”

Evie breathed out loudly, running a frustrated hand through her hair, “I know how selfish that sounds. I needed help and I didn’t think. Or maybe I did, unconsciously, I don’t know. Anyway. We’ve been seeing each other ever since.”

Ben seemed to regain his composure after that.

“You guys are dating?” he asked calmly.  
  
“No, we’re not…”_ I wish we were_. “We got in an argument because I was afraid of the way I feel about her. Because of my mother—”

“_Girls don’t like other girls!_”

“—But I can’t deny it anymore, Ben, and I don’t want to,” Evie admitted, trying once again to shush the voice in her head.  
  
“Holy shit.” The boy huffed out.  
  
“Yeah, indeed.”  
  
“You know you have to tell Mal.”  
  
“Yes, I’m aware. And I will. But I’m afraid she won’t even _try_ to understand. You know her better than I do. You know how stubborn she gets.”  
  
“Yeah, it definitely won’t be easy,” Ben confirmed. “But to be completely honest, I always thought the way Mal treated Uma was unfair. I mean, in first year when we took the Hogwarts Express for the first time, she was with us and it was a lot of fun. And I didn’t know who she was either but even after I found out I was still okay with her hanging out with us. I tried to reason Mal, but she wouldn’t hear anything.”  
  
“Sounds like her.” Evie sighed.

Ben gave her a gentle smile. “But she also cares about you a lot. She’ll come around because I know for a fact that she doesn’t wanna lose you. It might take time though.”

“So you’re actually supporting me on this?”  
  
“I believe that the heart works in ways that are greater than ourselves and that you don’t choose who you catch feelings for. If Uma’s the one helping in the process of overcoming your fears of finally being yourself, if she’s the one that your heart wants then yes, I’m all for that. Although I’m not gonna lie, I’ll need some time to adjust, too.“

Evie couldn’t believe her ears. This conversation was earnestly exceeding all her expectations. Confronting Mal was still her biggest challenge, and it will still be a drastically tough pill to swallow for the blonde, but at least she felt better knowing that she had Ben on her side. As much as she loved her best friend, she was tired of denying herself.

“_What a shame!_”

_Shut. The fuck. UP!_

“Wow, thanks Ben. That really means a lot.”  
  
“Of course E. You’re one of my best friends.” He gave her a quick hug with one arm. “So what are you gonna do?”  
  
“I’ll talk to Mal, just not at the moment. I have to make things right with Uma first. And for that I might need your help.”

* * *

Uma didn’t quite understand why in hell would McGonagall want to see her in the middle of the weekend. Yet the note she had received this very morning was pretty clear: the Transfiguration classroom at four o’clock. Something about the last essay she turned in, which made absolutely no sense to her either because in her modest and unbiased opinion, she totally nailed that thing. But whatever the old witch with the pointy hat wanted, the old witch with the pointy hat got, right?

Especially if said old witch had the ability to transform into a cat. That was honestly a dope thing.

However, when she got there, she found the classroom empty. “Um, hello?”

The Head of the Gryffindor House wasn’t at her desk – actually there was absolutely nothing on that desk, not even a quill – or nowhere else in sight. _Weird_.

Maybe she was somewhere lurking around in her cat form. Which was pretty unlikely, if she did say so herself.

“Professor McGonagall?” Uma called again.

She was not ready for the response she got. “She’s not here.”

So there was indeed someone lurking around, unnoticed. Someone who was very human and certainly not a Transfiguration teacher. It was more like the tall and slender figure of a nervous looking brunette girl in dark high-waisted jeans and a close-fitting indigo blue turtleneck sweater, stepping out of the shadows. Uma immediately noticed the red heart-shaped pendant that stood out on her chest and seemed to brighten the entire look (_Do not stare!_). And was that supposed to be a _messy_ bun her raven hair was in? (It looked splendid). Her heart clenched as she began to feel nervous herself. She looked beautiful. But the cards were a wee bit unevenly dealt here, when did Evie not look beautiful?

It didn’t change the fact that Uma hadn’t been expecting to see her here.

“What the—What are you doing here? I have to see Professor McGonagall.”

Evie slightly shook her head no. “No you don’t. The note you got wasn’t from her.” She bit the corner of her bottom lip the way she always did when she was embarrassed by something she did. “I wrote it.”

“What?” Uma took said note out of her pocket and the dots connected in her mind. “Hold on. You _forged_ McGonagall’s handwriting?”

Evie’s guilty facial expression answered for her. _Damn_. And here Uma thought she was the designated rule-breaker of the two of them. Part of her was impressed that Evie actually did something like this but at the same time what the entire hell? She was pretty sure the face she made at the moment reflected her thoughts accurately enough. With a roll of her eyes, she started to make her way towards the exit.

Footsteps behind her told her that Evie chased after her. “Please, don’t go. I did it because I need to talk to you.”

“Yeah well I don’t wanna hear it.”

Uma was confused at her own reaction. It had been a month since she last talked to Evie despite really wanting to, she missed the girl so much… and now that it was happening she wanted to get away. But as her hand touched the door handle, the lock clicked.

“Did you just—”  
  
“I just did.”

Braids whipped the air as she turned on her heels, only to see Evie with her wand out pointing towards the door. Well, from the looks of it the girl had mastered the non-verbal spells pretty efficiently.

“Geez, what’s gotten into you?”

Evie lowered her arm with a sigh and set her wand down on the nearest table. She wasn’t enjoying this, Uma could tell. She didn’t look like she wanted to argue either. If anything, she seemed conflicted, and rather desperate.

“I get that you’re mad at me.”

Yes, she was. Or more like, she _had been_. For a while. But now Uma wasn’t so sure if she could affirm that she was still mad at Evie.

“But please, I just want you to hear me out.”

Eventually, the Slytherin girl gave in and muttered, “Fine.”

“I owe you one hell of an apology. For everything. I know it was all my fault but I can’t keep doing this.”  
  
“Doing what?” Uma glared.  
  
“This! Pretending that I’m okay when I can’t stand the idea of you and I not talking. I miss us,” Evie said and it sounded like a plea.

Uma snickered before she could help it. “And what ‘us’ are you referring to exactly? ‘Cause the last time I checked, you're the one who rejected me.”

“I know I did, but let me explain—”  
  
“So what, you’re gonna tell me that you didn’t mean it?”  
  
“As a matter of fact, yes. That’s exactly what I want to tell you.”

_Okay, Uma, don’t be a bitch. The girl only wants to talk._

“Okay then, go ahead.”  
  
“For years I’ve been told that homosexuality was wrong. My mother caught me kissing another girl once and I’m still paying the price for it.” Evie stared down at her feet for a second, and when she looked back up her bottom lip was quivering. “It was awful, Uma. The things she said to me… I can still hear them.”

The younger girl was starting to understand. “Did she say you were deviant?”

“Yes. Among other things. She even—” The brunette paused and let out a shaky breath, as one of her hands rose to her face, fingertips brushing against her cheek.

Uma was genuinely stumped hearing this. She may not have the most affectionate relationship with her mother, but at least Ursula was always supportive of her daughter’s decision to explore her sexuality. It surely wasn’t the girl’s favorite thing to discuss at the dinner table – man, were these mother-daughter love-and-life conversations _awkward_ – but whenever it was brought up she could tell her mother tried her best to make her feel comfortable about it and she was very grateful for it. She really couldn’t conceive that one’s parent could ever bring their own child down – and go as far as physically hurting them – over something so pure and natural as love.

Her heart ached for the girl in front of her and Uma wanted nothing more than to hold her tight and tell her everything would be okay (or just for the mere pleasure of holding her). If all of this really happened then a lot of things made sense now. It didn’t make them all alright though. The turquoise haired girl had a feeling she could see what Evie was getting at with that but she didn’t want to rush to conclusions.

Pretty ironic coming from her, wasn’t it.

“I tried to conceal my feelings because I was scared, but it had the opposite effect.” Evie continued, taking a few steps closer. “I was thinking about you more and more with every day that passed. I couldn’t stop my heart from racing whenever I was with you, or reading your letters. I even had dreams about you. Because heck, it’s true, I like you.”

A warm feeling invaded Uma from the top of her head to the tip of her toes as she gasped through her teeth. Her legs began to tremble and it took a lot of willpower to get herself to stay up and steady. _Could it really be true…_

But Evie wasn’t done just yet. “I didn’t want to like you yet I couldn’t stay away from you. Then you confessed that you liked me too and I panicked and I said all those things to you…”

“Yeah, like accusing me of using my song to take advantage of you,” Uma reminisced.  
  
“That was really low of me.” Evie said apologetically.  
  
“It was.”  
  
“I’m so sorry. Believe me I still hate myself for it. I know how sensitive you are about it, you would never do something like that.”

Another step closer.

“But now that I’m being honest with myself, I want to move forward and you have a role to play in that. I want to be with you.”

Uma had to discreetly pinch the back of her thigh to make sure that she wasn’t in one of her daydreams.

“What makes you think I still feel that way about you?” she asked.

_Really, really? Girl, who the fuck are you kidding?_

“Because you’re still here.”  
  
“You basically trapped me in here.”

Evie flashed the half of a smirk. “You’re smart. You could’ve used _Alohomora_ on the door if you wanted to leave.”

Yeah. She had a point.

“We have something, Uma. Can you really look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t have feelings for me anymore?”  
  
“I—” No. She could _not_ do that. “It’s just… This whole thing, it really hurt me, Evie.”

“I know, and again I’m really sorry. But I want to make it up to you. If there’s even the slightest chance that you might still want me, I’m going to take it.”

Evie stood very close now, the closest she had ever been, and Uma knew any resistance from her side was pointless because that was also exactly what she wanted. Fuck, yes, of course she wanted Evie. She had for _months_.

The brunette smelled ambrosial, like honey, berries and cinnamon. She could also feel the girl’s warm breath on her face, and it was making her dizzy. Cold, soft fingers brushed against the back of her left hand before they mingled with her own and Evie leaned in until their noses almost touched. Oh, yes, Uma could sense where this was headed. They had been in this situation before.

“I’m not letting you go this time,” Evie said in a barely audible whisper.

_Neither am I._

“Kiss me.”

The words left Uma’s mouth in the lowest of murmurs, like the secret wish the Slytherin girl had been making almost every night before going to bed for thirty-one days. And it was with no hesitation that Evie pressed her pink lips against Uma’s awaiting ones.

And…

Let’s say she should have been prepared for this – she literally asked for it, for Davy Jones’s sake – but it still ended up nearly knocking all the air from her lungs. Her brain lit on fire, sending tingles and chills all over her skin. When they pulled away, somehow at the same time, walnut eyes locked with chocolate ones for a few seconds before Evie’s hands went up to cup Uma’s face to tilt her head at a better angle, and she kissed her again with more intensity. Feeling the adrenaline coursing through her veins, Uma reciprocated without thinking, arms sneaking around the older girl’s waist tugging her impossibly closer.

In this precise moment, it was as if every word that hadn’t been spoken, every look that hadn’t been shared, every emotion they both had been feeling for the past months was finally being expressed, and it was exquisite. No more fear, no more holding back. There was absolutely no tongue involved either but the way their lips moved against each other, alternating between light pecks and harder kisses, had Uma’s head spinning just the same. She reveled in the way it made her heart hammer in bliss, plus all the other little things. The fluttering in her stomach. The warmth from the Ravenclaw girl’s body spreading through hers, her sweet scent, her silk-smooth lips.

Nothing else mattered, but the two of them finally giving way to their true feelings and getting lost in each other. Uma felt like her body was being lifted off the ground pulling Evie along with her. It felt surreal. She didn’t want this to end, ever. But alas, it had to. If she was born with the ability to hold her breath longer than the common human kind, Evie wasn’t. Therefore, the girl eventually found herself lacking oxygen.

Uma was also kind of breathless as they remained in each other’s firm though gentle grips, eyes half shut, forehead against forehead, none of them willing to let go. How was this real life. It was like the past thirty-one days were already a long gone memory, lost somewhere in the far back of her mind and the only thing she could focus on was how much she loved that perky brunette.

She couldn’t (and wouldn’t) tell her that so soon, of course. But the thought made her giggle softly.

“What?” Evie asked, smiling as well.

The Slytherin girl looked up. She swore she could never get tired of those pretty eyes. “Nothing, you… you’re just amazing. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

Followed another series of soft, passionate kisses.

“One more thing,” Evie panted in the middle of it. “Will you be my date to the ball?”  
  
“Hmm. What about that playboy from your House Quidditch team?” Uma sassed with a touch of bitterness in her voice.

The Ravenclaw girl pulled away just far enough to see Uma’s entire face and frowned, “How do you know Adrian asked me out?”

“I was there, I heard you,” she replied, rolling her eyes.  
  
“Really?” One of Evie’s eyebrows quirked up. “Because if you did then you’d know I refused.”  
  
“Oh.”

Nope, she did _not_ feel stupid at all.

“Of course,” Evie said. “You were all I could think about.”  
  
“And what if _I_ already have a date?”  
  
“Cancel it.”

_Well shit_. Uma bit her lip, mentally thanking the universe for her darker complexion that successfully hid any visual display of the heat she felt on her face, because _whew_. That stern tone and bossy attitude were surprisingly a turn-on. In fact she didn’t even have a proper comeback. “So you really want this. You’re ready to come out to the world, with _me_?”

“Yes.” Evie softly ran her fingers through thin turquoise braids, pushing them away from Uma’s face. “I don’t want to care so much about what people think anymore.”  
  
“Not even—”  
  
“I’ll handle her. She’s gonna have to deal with it because like I said, I’m not letting you go.”

And those were the words that sealed the deal, as well as brought the brightest grin on Uma’s face. “Of course I’ll be your date, Princess.”

How good it felt to finally be able to call her that again.

They would’ve spent the whole night in the Transfiguration classroom if they could, but as the voice of reason (AKA Evie) rightfully pointed out, she still had to get some work done before dinner (and truth be told, so did Uma). It was forcefully and reluctantly that they broke out of their little bubble and bid each other goodbye, with the promise of many more moments like this (and even better ones) in a near future (the next day). _What a sharp turn of events_, Uma told herself as she made her way back to the Slytherin common room, unable to keep this idiotic grin off her face and sure enough a lot of people saw it. But she was just too happy to care. Was there any other way she could be? When _all of this_ just happened?

“Do you always look this cheesy after meeting with McGonagall?” Harry asked upon her arrival in the dungeons.  
  
“I wasn’t with McGonagall,” Uma answered, plopping down on the couch next to him.  
  
“How come? Thought she wanted to see you.”

Uma’s lips curved into a smirk, “Boy, I think it’s about time I tell you a little story.”

And within the next fifteen minutes, she had filled him in with everything that went down between Evie and her. The blue eyed boy listened attentively, not interrupting her once (which was weird because Uma had been dead certain that he would have something to say). When she was done, Harry’s eyebrows were knitted tightly, his lips were pursed and he wasn’t even looking at her, but towards some spot between her feet.

“Um, Harry?”

He didn’t pull a muscle. “Hmm.”

“Could you like, say something?”  
  
“You…” he started, pointing his forefinger at her in a threatening way. “…little… _BITCH_!”

Uma didn’t even have the time to open her mouth to voice her surprise, that Harry had dexterously bounced from where he sat and was pinning her down on the couch. A high-pitched squeal that didn’t suit her at all left her throat, causing a few heads to turn in their direction. He grabbed a nearby cushion and processed to hit her with it, aiming for her face.

“_Ouch_!” she cried out while trying to protect herself with her arms. “Harry, dude, chill the fuck out!”  
  
“How _dare_ you?” Harry barked without ending his relentless assault, punctuating every word with a blow.

The cushion was then carelessly tossed aside and he began to tickle her sides with no mercy. “Ahhh haahah—stop… Aahahaha!” Uma screamed and laughed simultaneously, wriggling her body furiously underneath him to escape his fierce grasp.

Damn, was that boy strong. People were definitely watching now.

“So she’s the one huh? She’s your mysterious hottie?” he said in a lower tone.  
  
“Y-y-yes—hahahahaha stop. Yes sh-she is!”

And the tickling stopped at last, giving Uma the opportunity to finally catch her breath but Harry didn’t move from his spot on her lap. He crossed his arms and pouted in a babyish way. “I can’t _believe_ you kept this from me for so long. I’m your bloody best friend!”

“I had-had to.” The turquoise haired girl panted, hands on her heaving chest. “I promised her!”  
  
“But we always tell each other everything!”  
  
“I’m sorry! I’m telling you now.”

More students entered the common room and stared at them confusedly. With good reason though, it was quite a weird and suggestive position they were in.

“Get a room,” some boy said.  
  
“Sure thing, but make sure you get a good look first!” Harry responded dismissively, then turned his attention back to his best friend. “Next Hogsmeade weekend, you owe me a butterbeer.”

Uma propped herself up on her elbows and looked him up and down. “Excuse you? On what account?”

“For lying to me.”  
  
“I didn’t lie, I just didn’t tell the whole truth.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, same difference.”

“Ugh, alright. You’re lucky I love you.”

That was so much easier to say now.

“More than her I hope,” the brunette boy teased.  
  
“Uh-huh. Don’t go there,” Uma warned. “Can you get off me now? You weigh like a ton and a half.”

* * *

Evie hadn’t told Mal.

She promised Uma she would do it before the ball, but it indeed turned out to be a hard duty. Not that she didn’t know that already. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had the chance, she literally saw Mal every single day since her and Uma made up. But every time an opportunity arose, she chickened out. It was never the right moment, nor the right way, or she was never in the right state of mind, and clearly those were just sorry excuses to postpone the inevitable because she knew Mal would react badly no matter how, when or where. Unfortunately, while Evie tormented herself, time was still passing, and now it was only two days before the Millennial Ball and she still hadn’t said anything.

What a thorny little situation she had put herself in. It was Uma’s fault. For being the pirate who stole her little princess heart.

Walking back to the Ravenclaw common room with Doug after dinner, those concerns dissipated and got replaced by other ones, when she caught a glimpse of a female silhouette curled up on the floor, in a corner of the niche where their small library was located.

“Doug, look.”

As they got closer, it became clear that the girl was crying, with her head on her knees and her arms hugging her legs. And her hair… Evie could’ve recognized this flawless honey brown braided ponytail anywhere. And apparently, so did Doug.

“Audrey?” the boy said softly.

She glanced up, and Evie felt a heavy weight fall down her chest at the sight of her. The younger girl’s face was drenched with tears, her eyes red and swollen.

“Holy magic mirrors, Audrey, what’s going on?” she hurried to her side, wrapping her arms around Audrey and Doug crouched down in front of them, face dripping with worry.

“It’s Chad…” Audrey sniffed. Her voice was hoarse. “He broke up with me today.”  
  
“What?” Both Evie and Doug exclaimed, appalled.  
  
“I was just a distraction from the girl he really wanted. And she finally accepted to go out with him so he just dumped me, like a piece of scum,” Audrey explained through more tears. “I meant nothing to him. He used me. Why am I never good enough, what is wrong with me?”  
  
“Nothing! There’s nothing wrong with you,” Evie said heartedly. “You’re more than enough and if a guy isn’t able to see that then he’s not the one for you.”

Especially when the guy in question was Chad Charming, but that was a conversation for another day. Evie held the sobbing girl tighter.

“I feel so stupid,” Audrey mumbled. “Chad was playing me this whole time. And now I’m heartbroken, single, and dateless for the ball which is in two freaking days and—”  
  
“No!” Doug cut her off, startling her in the process and even Evie was surprised at the sharpness of his tone. “You’re not stupid and Chad is a douchebag, I never liked him.” He straightened his back decisively. “I’ll take you to the ball.”  
  
“D-Doug, I—”  
  
“No, you listen. Audrey, you are a beautiful person inside and out. You’re funny, you’re brilliant, you’re caring, you’re confident, and you have the most gorgeous hair this school has ever seen. No offense Eve.”  
  
“None taken.” Evie chuckled.

Back to Audrey, Doug put a hand on her joined ones on top of her knees. “But most importantly, you’re my friend and I won’t let you believe for one second that you’re worth any less because of this asshole. You deserve so much, Drey, you deserve everything and even more. I know how thrilled you were about the Millennial Ball so I refuse to let this ruin this night for you.”

Evie was at a loss for words, she just admired her friend’s dedication to cheer the distraught brunette up. She couldn’t have said it better herself. It made her heart swell with pride.

“But what about your date?” Audrey asked.  
  
“Well, it was kind of a bet that we both lost. It’s no big deal. She’ll understand.” Doug shrugged.  
  
“But—”  
  
“Really, don’t worry about it.”  
  
“Doug, I-I don’t know what to say.”

A toothy smile spread across the boy’s face. “Just tell me what color your dress is.”

“My dress?”  
  
“Yeah, we need to match, don’t we?”

Audrey’s whole face slightly lit up at that, “It’s pastel pink.”

“There goes that pretty smile. Pastel pink bow tie it is then,” Doug said resolutely. “I’m telling you, you’re done crying after tonight. You’re going to have the time of your life at this party.”

At this point Evie just melted, and she wasn’t even the one at the receiving end of this act of kindness. She was really proud of Doug and very glad that Audrey – and herself – had someone like him in their lives. It almost made up for all his socially awkward moments. Because, hm, yeah, he was (sometimes). But that was a part of what made him so great.

“Oh my.” Audrey was just equally enchanted. She turned to Evie with a light giggle. “Can you believe him?”  
  
“He’s amazing, isn’t he. But so are you. And he’s right, you can’t let this get you down.” Evie gently stroked the side of Audrey’s face with the back of her knuckles, before giving her an affectionate tap under her chin. “Now lift your head up, princess, your tiara is falling.”

The older brunette realized that she didn’t mind sharing the title with her, not one bit. The world sure needed more badass princesses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Believe me when I tell you I STRUGGLED with this shit… First of, writer's block is a bitch. I think I deleted then rewrote the whole thing at least eight times. And then I had to focus on school for a little bit plus on some other shit I had going on, and then my computer sorta died so I had to get a new one. Thank God I had a backup of my stories somewhere.
> 
> But anyway. In the meantime, I finally saw D3 and honestly I don't know what to think. Like yeah, the songs are awesome, I fell more in love with Uma than I already was, Evie owns my whole being, and the little Umvie interactions throughout the whole movie had my liddle heart going boom. Audrey is absolutely iconic and I love her evil self (& now I understand your story a lot better and love it even more @cerulean_sin), plus damn my girl got bars! But I think I never despised Mal more than I did in this movie… I'm not even sorry. She just irks the shit outta me. Like, after all the things she did (especially to Uma and Audrey, and the isle folks) and lying to everybody the way she did?? They all forgave her a little too fast for my taste. But I can't say I'm surprised, this is Disney we're talking about. D2 remains superior.
> 
> And also, special kudos to the person who made Evie sing "we got bigger fish to fry" while standing right next to Uma and not long after Mal joked about what fried octopus tasted like. I laughed so much I had to pause the movie.
> 
> Okay, that's all for honest hour. Thank you so much guys for your patience, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave a kudo, comment, or subscribe to find out what happens in the final chapters (because yes, sadly, we're slowly getting there people *sniffs*).
> 
> I love and appreciate y'all!


	10. The Millennial Ball - Part 1

“You told her _what?”_ Evie said in slight stupor.  
  
“To either suck it up or go fish her own oysters since she wanted to eat them so bad,” Uma kissed her teeth. “This old bitch was getting on my nerves!”  
  
“But still a customer! Oh my gosh, you’re unbelievable. What happened then?”  
  
“She asked to talk to my manager, and my mom came in.”  
  
“I bet she wasn’t too happy about that.”  
  
“You know it. She was pissed. She gave them a fifty percent discount and took it off my pay. And it was actually quite a bit of money.”

After the last Friday of class had dragged on for what had basically seemed forever, the two girls, unfailingly, met in the Room of Requirement in the evening.

They had had quite the surprise a few days earlier, going there for the first time after they made up. Despite still looking like a cozy study room as the library, table and chairs had remained, the rest of the furniture and the decoration had gone through some changes. Instead of people studying, the paintings on the walls were mostly now works of still life, like flowers and fruit, and the biggest one showed a pair of swans swimming in the sunset. By the fireplace, the beige velvety carpet was even thicker and fluffier, the couch appeared to be larger and contained more pillows and blankets than before. There were curtains at the window that were a mingle of navy blue and turquoise patterns and did a pretty good job at dimming the sunlight, but what really stood out were the roses. Many small potted bouquets of red roses adorned different parts of the room: by the door, on top of the fireplace, on the side table between the couch and one of the armchairs, on the shelves of the library, and even at the center of their studying table.

When they saw it, they didn’t have to seek too deep for an explanation, for the message was perfectly clear. Hogwarts had its way of keeping some of its secrets well buried but one couldn’t keep a secret from Hogwarts. Their bond had changed, therefore so had their special place. And they figured they liked it even more this way. It felt more romantic, had Evie said. She even used the words ‘love nest’ and ‘intimate moments’ and Uma’s heart had skipped several _major_ beats (because _what did she mean by that exactly?_). She figured it out later on, when she came to realize at last that the new paintings could neither see nor talk and from that moment the shy little kisses they had started sharing on the couch turned into a mildly heated make out session.

As of now, the girls were both settled on the floor and more precisely on the carpet so they could enjoy the fluffiness, facing the lit fireplace. Uma had her back against the couch, legs stretched out in front of her. The warmth from the fire licked deliciously at her bare feet and she had one hand playing lazily in Evie’s soft locks, while the latter was laying on her back with her head on the Slytherin girl’s lap. They had mutually agreed to let it be the last time they saw each other before the ball which was the following evening, so they were making the most of it. Just relaxing and talking about everything and nothing, which led to one of the many anecdotes from Uma’s waitressing times.

“Well, at least she didn’t fire you,” the brunette pointed out.  
  
“Fire me for what? I’m her most valuable employee,” Uma stated, and she wasn’t even exaggerating. “The only thing I don’t do is cooking because Mom doesn’t trust me in the kitchen.”

Evie giggled at that. “Are you that bad?”

“Actually, I… Yeah, it’s not my biggest talent,” Uma admitted shamefully.  
  
“Well, thankfully you _do_ have other ones.” Evie took the younger girl’s hand that wasn’t in her hair in hers and began to run the tips of her fingers along the skin of her knuckles, palm, wrist and forearm. “Like for instance, one day you’ll have to tell me all about your skin care routine. Your skin is always so soft and smooth, it’s flawless! It’s making me crazy.”

Uma snorted slightly, amused by the statement. A brown eyebrow arched up. “Is it now? Well sorry Princess, I was sort of born with it. Siren genes, y’know?”

“Damn it.” Evie groaned heartedly. “Did you ever get a pimple?”  
  
“On very rare occasions.”  
  
“It’s unfair. No! That is _so_ unfair!” The girl marked a pause from her indignation while Uma laughed, but when she talked again, it was with a lower, more measured tone of her voice. “So, I know this is kind of sensitive, but do you have any other, um, abilities? I mean, being part siren and all. Besides singing.”

She was careful with the way she asked this. Not pressuring or insistent, just that typical intellectual curiosity that emerged whenever she was confronted to things that were unknown to her. Ravenclaw wasn’t her House for nothing. But Uma actually took the time to deliberate on the matter, not wanting a reoccurrence of what happened the previous month. They had decided to give themselves a chance, right? Therefore, quite logically, honesty was in order. And she would have to tell Evie about it, eventually. Maybe?

The other girl seemed to sense her dilemma. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“It’s alright I guess.” Uma gave in with a shrug of her shoulders. _Oh well_. “The singing is actually a highly weakened version of the real thing. A real siren song can be deadly because of how addictive it is for the person who hears it,” she explained quietly.  
  
“Oh, dang.”  
  
“As for other things, well I don’t know if that’s got anything to do with it, but I just really like being near or in water. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m an excellent swimmer.” Scratch that. That was definitely her tooting her own horn. “Oh, yeah, and I can also hold my breath underwater longer than most people.”  
  
“Really? How long?”  
  
“Hmm I don’t know, something like fifteen-ish minutes, more or less.”  
  
“Shut up. _Fifteen minutes_? The longest I’ve ever managed was like fifty-three seconds!” Evie exclaimed with wide eyes, astounded. “So is that why you ended up swimming in the Great Lake?”  
  
“Pretty much. I was curious.”  
  
“How’s it like down there?”

Uma hummed in thought for a second. “Cold. Dark. Lots of algae. Grindylows are the devil, but the giant squid’s actually cute. And I met some of the merpeople.”

“Now this is awesome. I’d love to see one.”  
  
“Ehh I don’t know about that.” Uma made a face. “They’re not the friendliest creatures you’ll find. I guess they only tolerated me for a moment because I’m kind of a long-lost third cousin or whatever. But they don’t really like outsiders.”

Evie pouted. “Aw, bummer. Wait, does that mean you understand Mermish?”

“Yep.”

What came out of her mouth next were raspy screeching sounds that made the Ravenclaw girl scrunch up her whole face.

“Okay, don’t ever do that again.”  
  
“But I just told you I liked your eyes,” Uma gasped, faking offense.  
  
“Well thank you, I like yours too. But it still sounded terrible.”  
  
“Rude. That’s culture.”

Uma chewed on the corner of her bottom lip before she spoke again. It was her turn to bring up a risky matter. “While we’re at sensitive topics, sorry I have to ask. That girl that your mom caught you kissing, how close were you?”

“We had just started dating when it happened,” Evie replied with unexpected quietude. Perhaps it was because of the scalp massage she was receiving from the other girl. “I was thirteen and had no clue how relationships even worked. We were just doing our best while trying to keep it all a secret. Talk about an epic fail. I had never seen my mom so livid in my whole life.”  
  
“I can’t believe she put you through that,” Uma said, bitterness hinting in her words. “Are you afraid to go home?”  
  
“I don’t think so. But I feel like it’ll be one awkward Christmas. I’m two hundred percent sure she’ll want to know everything about the ball, and consequently my love life, and I’m not ready to tell her about us just yet.”

Uma totally got that. In her opinion – and not because, unlike Evie’s, her mother wouldn’t accept it – it was a little too early in the relationship to be telling parents. Merely because sitting with Ursula to talk about these things was just _weird_. The turquoise haired girl wasn’t planning on telling her so soon. Or well, unless the woman asked, which was unlikely.

“I mean we’ll have to have this conversation someday, that’s for sure,” Evie continued as she sighed. “But more than just you and me, I’ll have to let her know that all her bullying failed because I never stopped liking girls. It won’t be pretty.”  
  
“Yeah I guess. Well, when you are ready, I can sorta be your support system, if you want.”

The brunette planted a kiss on her open palm. “Thank you.”

“And when she asks, just tell your mom you went to the ball with _Adrian,”_ Uma then suggested to everyone’s utter surprise, albeit it came out drier than she intended.  
  
“Would you be okay with that?” Evie questioned.  
  
“Absolutely not,” the Slytherin girl blurted almost immediately, rolling her eyes. “But if it can prevent major drama then I’ll pretend I am.”

Evie smiled and stuck the tip of her tongue between her teeth teasingly. “You’re cute when you’re jealous, you know that?”

The blush burned through Uma’s cheeks like her face was a hot cauldron. Seven Seas. Evie just had a way of saying simple things… that caused _that._

She tried her best to mask the quivering of her voice. “Er, thanks, but I’d rather not be cute in that way too often.”

“Alright, so what about me, Captain? Are there any ghosts of exes or flirts I should know about?”  
  
“Not really.” The turquoise haired girl grimaced thinking about her ‘exes’. If she could even call them that. “Just little summer flings with a couple local guys. Entertaining enough while it lasted but I’m certain neither me nor them were serious about it.”  
  
“And, um, what about…”

Uma scoffed, already knowing what the girl wanted to ask. “Lemme guess. You wanna know what the deal is between me and Harry.”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way. But I often thought that you two were a thing.”

Of course she did. Everybody did, at some point.

“Yeah, you’re not the only one. It’s okay though. So, yes, I like the kid very much, he’s my best friend, my ride or die, whatever you wanna call it, and I’d also do anything for his crazy ass, but no, I’m not into him and we never dated. Plus he’s like head over heels in love with Gil so I would’ve been wasting my time.” The corner of her lips tugged upward as she revealed something else. “But, we did kiss once.”

“Really?” Evie exclaimed in bewilderment.  
  
“Yeah. Last year. I don’t even remember what we were talking about beforehand, just that it had _nothing_ to do with kissing. But at some point he was just like ‘Can I kiss you?’.”  
  
“Just like that? Out of the blue?”  
  
“Imagine my surprise.”  
  
“Yeah that doesn’t make any sense.”

Uma shrugged, “That’s Harry.”

“So you just kissed him,” Evie said.  
  
“Yeah, we made out. I mean, why not.”  
  
“And then?”  
  
“He called me a bloody demoniac spawn of Davy Jones with heavenly lips.”

A typical Harry phrase.

There was also that particular and oh so embarrassing moment – that actually occurred no later than two days prior – when the boy reviewed with her the basics of ballroom dancing so she ‘wouldn’t make a fool of herself with her princess in front of the whole school’, but she swore she would never, _ever,_ tell Evie about that.

Given that they hadn’t really taken the time to address the matter in much detail, Uma found herself feeling more nervous than what she brought herself to admit about the actual dancing part. Because, from what Evie had told her about the overall organization of the event, the attending prefects and their partners were to open the ball. Which meant that Uma wouldn’t have been able to escape it even if she had wanted to, and mostly that all eyes will be on them for a moment. But, with the both of them being girls, an issue that usually didn’t even arise in more ‘traditional’ situations sneaked its way into her mind: _who_ would actually lead the dance? Big part of her wanted it to be herself, so that Evie could truly feel like the princess she had always dreamed to be. But Uma had never waltzed with anyone before so how the hell was she supposed to do that.

So yeah, she asked Harry for advice, and he taught her how to lead_ just in case_. She wanted to made this night as perfect as possible for the Ravenclaw brunette, and that couldn’t happen if she kept tripping over her own feet or worse, stepping on Evie’s. Especially since she was planning on wearing heels. Although they were _only_ about three inches high, it was still a challenge.

Why was she doing this to herself again?

“Well, at least that’s something he and I can agree on.” Evie winked at her.  
  
“That I’m a demoniac spawn of Davy Jones?”  
  
“No. That you have heavenly lips.”

So that answered her question. That was part of the reason why she was doing this to herself. And_ damn it_ with that blushing!

Little did she know, Evie wasn’t about to make things any better.

“You know what would be great though?” the brunette asked cheerfully.  
  
“No, what?”  
  
“You and I, going out on a date.”

A date. Evie wanted to go on a _date…_ Uma had never been on a real date. _Simmer down, nerves_.

“Won’t the ball be like a date?” Her voice came out far too squeaky for her taste.  
  
“Yes, but I mean going _out._ You’ve never been to the movies, have you?”

Uma couldn’t help but glare. “The _what_?”

Evie smiled fondly. “That’s what I thought. It’s a form of visual art. There’s a script, actors who play different roles and then the whole thing is recorded on camera and then played on television or in a movie theater—” the brunette interrupted herself when she noticed that she had basically lost Uma at this point, the younger girl confusedly staring down at her with furrowed brows. “So now you know how I felt when I saw a picture move for the first time.” She smirked. “It’s a very popular thing that Muggles watch for entertainment. And a nice cheap place to go on dates.”

“Oh so you wanna take me on cheap dates?” Uma faked attitude again.  
  
“Well, I can’t exactly afford a trip to Venice and a—”  
  
“I’m kidding Princess. This actually sounds interesting. Do you like those?”  
  
“I’m more of a book person, as you know, but yeah movies are great, too. You’ll need to come by my city so we can go see one.”

Okay. They were talking some serious business in here.

“I’d like that. But until then, there’s still Hogsmeade,” Uma said.  
  
“Still sounds good to me.”

Pretty, dreamy walnut orbs lingered on her face from underneath, the flaming orangey light from the fire making smooth porcelain skin glow. Why would she need a new skin care routine, Uma wondered. There wasn't a single flaw in sight. However, given their current position, what she did see was a perfect opportunity to mess with the older girl despite the sweetness of the moment.

“Are you enjoying this view of my nostrils?”  
  
“Your—For Merlin’s sake, Uma! I wasn’t even looking. Ugh. Moment’s ruined.”

That was just too fun. Her faces were priceless and it made Uma let out the ugliest cackle, not even fazed by the hand that flew up to slap her upper arm. “Is it? Damn, I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.” Evie sat up and turned her body so that she was fully facing Uma, sitting on her hip with her hand on the other side of the turquoise haired girl’s legs to balance her weight. “How about now? I like this view.”  
  
“Yeah, me too,” Uma responded as she leaned forward.

She captured the Ravenclaw girl’s lips in a gentle kiss. It still amazed her that she was now allowed to do that. Kissing Evie had become one of her favorite things to do, it always brought the same warm, tingly sensation in her stomach that then spread through the rest of her body like wildfire, that only made her crave more of what the other girl could offer. More of her time, more of her affection, more of… _everything._

_Oh, Evie. What are you doing to me_.

Uma never would’ve imagined that she’d ever be able to become so… _soft_ for someone. As if all the defenses that she had had for so long were only meant for others and Evie had her own door, easily getting past them and into her heart. And if she was honest, it was a bit of a terrifying thought. She was still new to all of that, after all. Not used to wanting to _share_ so many things with one person, both physically and emotionally.

But for Evie, Uma was willing to try her best. And she knew, it was only the beginning.

* * *

On the morning of December the twenty-first, Evie felt like she woke up to the most breathtaking vision she had ever had of Hogwarts in winter. The sun wasn’t even fully up yet, its rays marginally tracing the outline of the faraway mountains as the sky was filled with warm, vibrant bursts of gold on lavender melting with saffron. From the window of her dormitory, she could clearly see the school grounds that were draped by a thick, immaculate coat of snow. The top of the trees of the Forbidden Forest covered in a thinner layer of white powder, making it seem much less threatening, and actually beautiful. And the lake, with its dark smooth as glass surface as though it had frozen overnight, looked straight out of a postal card. And to add some more magic to the picture, it was still snowing, flakes falling in tight spirals behind the glass.

The people definitely weren’t lying when they said the Ravenclaws had the most stunning views from their tower.

It wasn’t often that Evie could take the time to watch the sunrise during winter – she was too much of an early bird – but whenever it happened she thrillingly let herself be blown away by the beauty of it. It was as though the sky itself was smiling down at her with pride, whispering, ‘_Do you like it? I did that for you._’

Yes. A hundred times yes.

Expectedly enough, all that everyone could talk about was the upcoming ball and Evie herself jumped back and forth from overexcitement and eagerness to a state of total dismay throughout the whole morning. To make matters worse, she could hardly get hold of a certain Gryffindor blonde, as she was one of the prefects on duty for the final preparations of the event.

Why in _all hell_ hadn’t she talked to Mal sooner.

As if she would’ve felt any better if she had.

But fortunately, when came the time to finally go and get ready, those anguishes put themselves on temporary lockdown to at least let her enjoy pampering herself.

Getting all dolled up with her dorm mates reminded Evie of the dressing rooms vibes during her pageant days, as they helped each other with hair and makeup and in the meticulous process of putting their dresses on. The greatest difference being that since there was no competition, the atmosphere was considerably lighter and friendlier. Their dormitory had gotten a lot messier within less than an hour, with beauty products lying just about everywhere and the addition of a magically enlarged mirror that allowed them to see themselves entirely. Only thing missing would be some music.

Evie stood in front of said mirror two hours and a half later, satisfied with the final result.

Her gown was a beautiful navy blue off shoulder piece, with a thin silver diamanté sash belt enhancing her waist and a skirt that was slightly voluminous, made of multiple layers of a lightweight fabric all overlaid together like uneven rose petals. She had arranged her hair into an elegant low chignon and the small tiara made by Dizzy, with its little pearls, was placed atop her head for a regal touch.

She was particularly proud of the way she had done her makeup, keeping it soft and subtle on the eyes but with bold dark red lips that gave her extra confidence. A pair of small sapphire earrings came to complete the look but the cherry on top would be, time and again, the heart-shaped necklace that she couldn’t conceive not wearing even though it was gold when the rest of her accessories were silver. She had shortened the chain to make it more choker-like so that the pendant now rested between her collarbones, vibrant red standing out magnificently against pale skin.

Fingers of a freshly manicured hand with ruby painted nails came to caress the glassy jewel, and Evie smiled at her reflection. The girl before her truly looked like the princess of her dreams, and soon enough, she was fairly sure she’d feel like one.

She couldn’t wait to meet Uma downstairs.

“_It’s wrong!_”

_Well grab a seat, Mommy. I’ll show you wrong._

After spraying a bit of her favorite perfume on her neck and the inside of her wrists, the brunette left her dormitory and headed to the common room.

Doug whistled seeing her walk in, “Wow, wow, _wow.”_

“Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.” Evie teased.

Not only had the boy kept his promise and bore a pastel pink bowtie with his white button down shirt, but the suit jacket he had on top of it was pink as well, with formal black pants and shoes. And it actually looked great.

“I’m just waiting for Audrey, then we can all go down together if you’d like,” he offered.  
  
“Sure. I haven’t seen her today. I wonder how she’s doing.”  
  
“Is somebody expecting me?” said a sweet voice behind them.

Doug and Evie swung around at once, their eyes landing on the girl they were just talking about walking towards them. And what a sight. Following up to the expectation of it being pink, Audrey’s satiny dress shimmered as if it had been dipped in liquid diamonds. It was off shoulder too but with long fitted sleeves that were see-through, giving her arms a shiny glow. Her hair was done in a half-up crown braid with little rhinestone flowers in it, the rest flowing down her shoulders and back in honey brown waves.

Clearly liking the silent admiration from her two friends, the girl smirked in a conceited way that definitely did not give the impression that she was currently going through a break-up.

“I’m doing just fine, thank you very much,” she said with poise.  
  
“I’m glad. You look beautiful,” Doug complimented.  
  
“Yes, you truly do. Very glamorous,” Evie agreed.

“As I ought to be.” Audrey held her chin high and flipped her hair back, hands on her hips like she owned the place. Evie could only assume that her unusually cocky demeanor was her way to cope with the heartbreak and boost her self-confidence. But thankfully, it wasn’t all that she was about, for she added in a much kinder way, “But thank you so much guys, you look amazing too. Eve, _love_ the dress. And Doug, when you said we would match, I hadn’t expected you to go with all that.”

Doug’s face dropped, hands grabbing his jacket self-consciously. “You don’t like it? Is it too much?”

“No. I mean, yes, I do like it. And there’s no such thing as too much,” Audrey reassured him. “Thanks again. You know, for taking me.”  
  
“It’s my pleasure and you know it.” He held out both of his arms for the girls to take. “Now let’s get this party started, shall we?”

The walk to the Great Hall was a light-hearted one, with Evie and Audrey who couldn’t stop laughing at how Doug was prancing in the corridors claiming that he was accompanied by the two most beautiful girls in Hogwarts.

The entrance hall was packed with students, whether they were talking in small groups, or walking around looking for their partners, all dressed to impress, and all impatiently waiting for the double doors to be thrown open to finally engage the festivities. One thing was sure, Uma wasn’t there yet. And it was only when she peeped Mal and Ben near said doors that the tight ball of nerves formed in the pit of Evie’s stomach again. She had no other choice but to tell Mal now, mere minutes before the beginning of the ball. Preferably before Uma arrived.

She was screwed. There was no other way to put it.

“My my, don’t you look splendid, Your Majesty,” Mal praised when she got to their level.  
  
“Thank you.” Evie curtsied like royal folks would. “So do you!”

She did look gorgeous in her strapless purple gown. The top part was covered in black lace and a single strip of it meandered from the side of her waist to the very bottom like vines.

“Thanks! That’s a feat, to be honest. Considering how long they kept me in there. I didn’t get much time to do my hair,” she said, referring to the fact that it was simply braided loosely on one side.  
  
“Don’t worry, it still turned out amazing.” Evie smiled, then looked to Ben. “Nice suit Ben. Makes you look like your dad.”

The suit in question was royal blue and very formal, indeed very similar to what the Minister wore to official events.

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to take this,” he said with a slight frown.  
  
“As a compliment. It suits you,” Evie clarified gently.  
  
“Well thank you. Hey, when did Doug and Audrey happen?”  
  
“Yeah, that was unexpected,” Mal followed on.  
  
“It’s not like that. They’re here as friends.” Evie giggled.  
  
“Yeah, ‘friends’ of course. But about _you_, lady,” Mal poked her in the chest with her forefinger. “Will you finally tell me who your date is? And don’t tell me you don’t have one because I refuse to believe that you’re here on your own.” She smirked. “I mean I’ll see it either way. So who’s the guy? Or the girl?”

Evie’s breath hitched in her throat. Wasn’t that a straightforward way to raise the issue.

“W-well, I—”  
  
“Hey guys!” Lonnie cut her off by appearing by her side.

_Damn it!_

“Hey Lonnie,” Ben greeted. “I love your outfit.”

It was a two-piece garment that emphasized her Chinese roots, bright scarlet in color, with a long straight skirt, a top with a high collar, short gold trimmed sleeves, and a dragon sewed in the same gold threads at the front. Evie quickly gave up on trying to figure out the complex high bun her silky hair was pulled in, the whole thing beautifully ornated with engraved ivory sticks.

“Thanks.” Lonnie gave a shy smile. “Quite a change from the Quidditch robes, huh.”  
  
“It sure is. You’re still bearing the colors though.”  
  
“What can I say, I do love my House. But never mind that. Has anyone seen Jay?”  
  
“Why are you looking for Jay?” Evie asked, a bit confused.  
  
“Because he’s my date of course,” Lonnie said.  
  
“What? Hold on, so you’re his mysterious crush?” Evie recalled the conversation she had had with the long-haired boy a few weeks before.  
  
“Oh, he told you he had a crush on me?” Lonnie sounded genuinely surprised.  
  
“Very, very vaguely.”  
  
“Wait a minute.” Mal held a hand up. “_I_ didn’t know. What’s the story here?”

As Lonnie began to tell how Jay asked her out, Evie’s attention was quickly diverted when…

… she saw _her_.

Coming from the dungeons, on the opposite side of where the brunette stood in the crowded hall, and yet her eyes seemed to be seeing her, and _only_ her. Everything else got blurry, every noise muffling except for the pounding in her ribcage.

_Holy freaking poisoned apples._

Uma wore a teal colored sleeveless dress that had a low-cut though not indecent V-neck, revealing much more glorious melanin-rich skin than her regular outfits did (to Evie’s greatest delight). The bodice had details made of darker blue, and as the Slytherin girl got closer Evie noticed how they formed symmetrical ocean wave-like patterns all over. A teal ribbon encircled her slim waist and tied into a simple bow at the front, and from there the rest of the dress just flowed out into a fluid tulle skirt that skimmed the floor.

As for her hair, it was nothing fancy per se. The girl had pulled her aqua braids in a half-up-half-down style, leaving a couple of the front ones untied to frame her face. Tiny golden clips and a few little cowrie shells were visible in them, and that was about all the jewelry she had on, along with a golden nautilus shell that she wore as a necklace and matching small hoop earrings.

She was more beautiful than ever. A literal sea goddess, walking the face of the Earth. Had to be. Both ravishingly simple and wickedly mesmerizing. And Evie was in total awe. Her lungs felt like they had forgotten how to function as the brunette hardly dared to do as much as _blink_ for fear of seeing the girl disappear.

_Yup, that’s your girl_. Hmmm. ‘Your girl’.

_My girl._

Evie liked the sound of that. Well, they hadn’t given each other the official title as of yet, but she had a feeling they would be getting there, should this night go well. She suddenly realized her mouth had been agape this whole time and she closed it to keep herself from drooling.

“_That’s disgusting, you can’t do things like this!_”

_I don’t care._

Uma had her arm hooked with Harry’s as she walked, the black haired boy constantly making sure her way was clear so she wouldn’t trip. Like a true gentleman. If Evie didn’t know any better, she would’ve sworn they were each other’s dates. He also looked quite handsome, clad in what seemed to be a black and red formal uniform from the Muggle Royal Navy – interesting outfit choice – and still with his signature black eyeliner around his azure eyes.

Harry was the one who noticed Evie staring, and he said something in Uma’s ear that caused the girl to look towards her as well. However, even though she saw her face light up for a split second, her features rearranged into a displeased scowl when she realized Mal was standing there all smiles, as a visual proof that Evie _still_ hadn’t told her.

Hell. She was _so_ screwed.

“Well, well, well. Would you look at this. If it isn’t the perfect duo of losers.” Mal’s voice rose sarcastically, the two Slytherins now close enough to hear. “I hate to say you two kinda compliment each other.”

Up close, Evie saw that Uma’s makeup only consisted in teal eyeliner, mascara and a brownish nude lipstick that made her lips look even more plump.

If it wasn’t for this heavy tension slowly building up around them, she would’ve gone ahead and kissed the life out of them this instant.

“As much as I would’ve loved to have this divine creature to keep me company, I’m taken for the night,” Harry announced theatrically as he let go of Uma’s arm, though not before making a show of kissing the back of her hand. “And so is she.”  
  
“Really, Shrimpy? Wow. I wonder who’s been desperate enough to ask you to be their date. Must’ve been a last resort option.”

Evie exchanged an anxious look with Ben, who gave her a small encouraging nod and mouthed ‘_Do it_’. Right. Better do it before Uma began to lose her cool – she had noticed how the girl’s top lip twitched – so she gathered all the courage she could muster. “Uh, M?”

Said girl didn’t react, and kept throwing shots at Uma. “Or did you threaten them?”

“Mal,” Evie called again, louder, this time gaining the blonde’s attention. “Uma is my date.”  
  
“Yeah right.” Mal scoffed as she rolled her eyes, not taking her seriously.  
  
“I’m serious.”  
  
“Okay. Is this some kind of sick joke?”  
  
“I’m afraid not,” Harry said with a mocking pout. “And congrats, you just called your bestie desperate.”  
  
“I-I think I just saw Jay,” Lonnie muttered in a very low voice, understandably uncomfortable, and since no one was really paying attention to her she took the opportunity to slip away.

Mal’s confusion came out in the form of a rather aggressive question to her best friend, “What the hell is he saying?”

“The truth. You asked me who I’m here with, and the answer is Uma.”

The Gryffindor blonde looked from Evie, to Uma – who was still scowling – to Ben – who was unreadable – and then Uma again and a growl left her throat as she took two steps towards her, sudden anger distorting her face.

“It has to be you. You did something to her, didn’t you,” she spat scathingly. “What is it? Blackmail? The Imperius Curse? A potion?”  
  
“Bitch you have lost your mind,” Uma retorted, riled up and visibly ready to take the offensive.  
  
“Both of you, stop,” Evie stepped in to put much needed distance between the two girls, looking warningly from one to the other although she was feeling very uneasy at the moment. The last thing they needed right now was to cause a scene in the middle of the hall. A lot of people were staring in their direction already. Sighing, she turned to the Gryffindor girl and said in a softer voice, “Mal, I’m not under any influence, and it wasn’t a last resort option. I asked Uma to be my date because, well,” She took a deep breath. “I like her.”  
  
“The fuck you mean, you like her?”  
  
“I have—_We_ have feelings for each other.”

Mal’s expression softened, but not in the good way. Her jaw shuddered as she frantically shook her head.

“Please, Mal, just listen—” Ben intervened at last, or tried to, but was overtly ignored and interrupted.  
  
“Y-you can’t b-be for real...” the blonde stuttered weakly.  
  
“I am,” Evie said, her voice trembling as well. “I wanted to tell you sooner I swear, but I didn’t know how.”  
  
“N-no… it c-can’t be…Y-you’re—”

Emerald eyes glanced down to where Evie’s hand was gripping Uma’s tightly, their fingers intertwined. Evie herself had no idea what exact part of the conversation had made that happen, or whether it was Uma or her who reached first – probably her – but it seemed to be the last straw for Mal. When her gaze met Evie’s again, she looked as if someone had kicked her hard in the solar plexus, face flushed with her lips parted taking in quick, shallow pants. Without another word, she spun on her heel and ran off.

“Mal, wait!” Ben shouted as he took off after her.

The Ravenclaw brunette was shaking as she watched them leave, feeling sick to her stomach. Now _that_ was precisely what she had been dreading all along. She had been expecting this kind of reaction from Mal, but she could have – and most certainly should have – handled this better. For the blonde to find out like this, on the night of the ball in front of everyone, that was undoubtedly her biggest screw-up. But anyway, it was done now, wasn’t it?

Turning her head to see Uma’s irritated expression, she knew the Slytherin girl was thinking the same thing although she had the decency not to say anything. Still, Evie searched reproachful chocolate irises for any kind of support or advice because she was that distressed at the moment.

With an annoyed huff and a smack of her lips, Uma reluctantly said, “Go. I’ll be waiting for you inside.”

They let go of each other’s hands, and Evie, too, chased after her best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I could've posted this a lot sooner, I really had plenty of time on my hands. But in all honesty I was in no mood to write during the holidays. Christmas for me doesn't exactly equal happy times, it's more like the total opposite. So yeah. Every year it's a little tough... I had to take a few days to get away because I genuinely felt like I was losing my mind out there. 
> 
> But anyway, I'm better now, and happy New Year everyone!!!! May 2020 be good to you and bring you everything you ever wanted.
> 
> I hope this Umvie fluff warmed your souls on this cold winter (if it's even winter where you are... cuz it is here and I'm constantly freezing my ass off). Who's gonna tell Uma she's falling in l—_whaaat_ who said that?? And yay the ball's finally here! It'll be a three-part thing, should I get my shit right. Last one will be the final chapter of this story.... It's heartbreaking, I know :'( But until then make sure you buckle up, the drama is just getting started!
> 
> Thank you for reading, kudo-ing and commenting! Xoxo


	11. The Millennial Ball - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. This is the longest chapter I've ever written for this fic and that's part of the reason why it took so long. Sorry 'bout that. 
> 
> TW : mentions of homophobia. 
> 
> Oh and some angst too. Enjoy!

Evie ran through the corridors following the tracks of Mal and Ben. Or rather, she walked as fast as one could when wearing four inch stilettos and in her body’s current shaken state. Her fists were clenched tightly around the fabric of her skirt, mostly due to nerves and the need to have something tangible to hold onto and squeeze hard without being at risk of breaking anything, but it had the advantage of getting the dress out of the way. Stumbling and falling flat on her face would be the very last thing she needed right now.

This wasn’t how their night was supposed to go at all. Whatever it was that she had been expecting, had she even been having expectations, it was just… never mind. It wasn’t supposed to be like _this._

“Mal, could you _please_ slow down?” the echo of Ben’s voice resonated further ahead.

The brunette quickened her step, turned the next corner, and there they were.

The two Gryffindors had their backs turned to her, Mal standing mere feet ahead of Ben. Even from where she was and from this angle, Evie could see how tense the girl’s shoulders were, heaving up and down with her unnerved breathing.

“Babe, we need to talk about this,” Ben said in a soft tone in an attempt to soothe his girlfriend, to which Mal didn’t respond.

They sure did. And boy, was that going to be one hell of a conversation.

Evie let go of her dress and wiped her sweaty palms on it, the clicking sound of her heels against the hard stony floor of the deserted corridor making her presence known to the other two. They both turned around, and her chest tightened unpleasantly seeing, once again, revulsion and anger imprinted on the blonde’s face.

“I’m going to give you _one last chance_, to tell me that you were messing with me,” Mal groaned through heavy pants, sounding as though she had just ran a marathon, a finger pointing warningly in front of her. “That it was all a crazy, twisted joke and that you’re not actually dating _Shrimpy.”_

As much as she was used to hear her best friend’s bitter way of speaking the nasty nickname, that was nothing compared to the venom that spilled out as she spat it just now, her mouth curving downward in unconcealed disgust. Evie was getting quite tired of it, honestly.

“I can’t do that, Mal. I am—” The word got stuck in her throat. First time saying it out loud, she realized, and it would be in front of Mal. To Mal. She gulped. “I am dating Uma.”

She made sure to put emphasis on the name.

Because that was what they were doing called, right? Spending one on one time the way they did, flirting, holding each other, kissing… or simply enjoying each other’s company after having admitted that they liked each other. They even mentioned going on actual dates just the day prior so there wasn’t really another way to put it, wasn’t it? Even though, until a few minutes ago, it was all a secret.

Now that Evie thought about it, leaving the Slytherin girl by herself in the entrance hall to try to settle the mess she created wasn’t the best way to start off their very first date.

Mal just shook her head, probably realizing at last that Evie was as serious as it got. “I-I don’t understand. Out of all the girls in this fucking school, out of all the other possibilities you had, you chose _her_? How did that even happen?”

“I didn’t _choose_ anything, okay?” the Ravenclaw brunette answered defensively, not quite pleased with the accusation. “I didn’t just wake up one day and decide that I’d catch feelings for Uma. That’s not how it works.”

Mal’s scowl only intensified. “You didn’t answer my question. _How._ Did. That. _Happen_?”

The Gryffindor girl’s now unbridled wrath was oozing through her speech, a red tint spreading over her face and neck with every word. Steam could be starting to leak out of her ears and nostrils any moment, neither Ben or Evie would even be surprised.

Evie shuddered. Not because of the direct fact that Mal was angry, no. For the number of times that she had witnessed it in the five years that they had been friends, an angry Mal never really had the potential to intimidate her. It did feel weird and rather _troublesome,_ however, that this anger, all of it, ardent as it was, was now directed at her.

_Keep your cool. This was expected. You knew she’d be mad._

“Last year, I—”  
  
“Last year? Because this is something that’s been going on?” the blonde said harshly, her voice reaching a higher pitch.

Jaw gritting slightly, Evie swallowed back her own growing anger. Even though she understood why Mal was so upset, she didn’t like her friend’s aggressivity towards her at all. She took a short breath to force herself to remain calm and repeated, as if she hadn’t just been interrupted, “Last year, I was struggling with Transfiguration, and I was afraid I wouldn’t pass my O.W.L., so I asked her to help me.”

“Afraid you _wouldn’t pass_? Bloody hell, that’s gotta be the biggest piece of bullshit I’ve ever heard coming from you. You always pass _everything,_ Evie, the lowest grade you’ve ever had was an ‘Exceeds Expectations’!” Mal waved her hands exasperatedly, apparently not caring that she was shouting now. “And assuming it _is_ true, you really couldn’t have asked _anyone_ else. Like, I don’t know, Doug or _any_ other Ravenclaw?”

At that, she was reminded of how Uma had had similar words when they first encountered in the library.

“_Your House is full of crazy smart nerds. I’m sure you can find someone who’ll be more than happy to help you. Tutoring’s not my thing_.”

Also remembered exactly how she had answered that.

“_Well, first of all, none of these ‘crazy smart nerds’ has ever managed to transform a human into another being. Second of all, even if they did, they’d be in sixth or seventh year with N.E.W.T.s to prepare for. With all due respect, as a fourth-year you don’t have that kind of weight on you. Meaning you’re more likely to fit in my own schedule._”

Welp. Given who she was now talking to, she couldn’t exactly say it like that.

“They don’t have her skills,” she said as she frowned.  
  
“What would you know about her skills, you’re not even in class with us. Unless…” Mal’s features covered with shock in realization of what Evie’s last statement implied. “You did it after our duel.”  
  
“Mal—”  
  
“You really asked her for tutoring after she turned me into a lizard, after she _humiliated_ me?”  
  
“It was a selfish decision that had nothing to do with you, I promise. I was only thinking about my exam.”

Mal rolled her eyes. “Wow. Aren’t you the friend of the century!”

Again, Evie felt a burning sensation in her guts, but still not wanting to lose her composure. It wouldn’t solve anything and she knew it.

“You know what, people do say that you Ravenclaws don’t hesitate to backstab others to get top grades,” the blonde added, unknowingly feeding gasoline to Evie’s inner fire. “But I didn’t want to believe for one second that you, of all people, would be capable of that. Well, look how you proved me wrong.”

The older girl said nothing to that, pursed her lips hard enough to hurt a little. She had to remind herself that she had – somehow – anticipated that Mal would feel this way, even though she hadn’t meant for that to be backstabbing. Not intentionally at least. She was quite conflicted at this instant, kind of split between the want to reach out to Mal and hug it better, and keeping the safe distance.

“You held me when I cried over my brother’s death, all while lying to me and messing around with the niece of the woman who killed him, behind my back. So what, my grief’s a joke to you? Does what I feel even matter?” Mal snapped again.

Evie let out a light scoff, her shoulders slouching. “Of course it matters! I hate to see you in pain and I meant _every single thing_ that I ever said to you in those moments. And the guilt, it was eating me alive, but at the same time I couldn’t…” Unable to finish that sentence correctly, Evie looked up, shook her head and took a deep breath. “Look M, I’ve been through stuff too. And let’s be perfectly clear, I’m not saying what happened to me compares to losing your brother. But dealing with what my mother put me through was far from being an easy thing either.”

“Evie, that’s not what I—”

But it was Evie’s turn to interrupt. “For weeks, my own mother looked at me like I was some kind of freak because I loved a girl. She said things a parent should never even tell their child. Ever. And I’ve been forced to live in a lie and to despise my true self because I felt like if I didn’t she would never love me again.”

“_I didn’t raise you to become this obscene. No child of mine will be this deviant._”

“That was tough too, Mal. But unlike you I was too insecure to open up. I was ashamed, and scared, that people would judge and degrade me just like my mother did.”

Because thinking that Regina had dropped the issue after that one night would be completely inaccurate. The woman found ways to bring it up for weeks, until Evie left for Hogwarts and even after when she came back for Christmas and the next summer. Extending her range of demeaning words and making her daughter feel even more broken inside.

“At some point Uma confessed that she had feelings for me and I completely freaked out, but it made me realize that I couldn’t keep doing this because I had these feelings for her too. Now I’m working on breaking free of these chains, and it feels like I’m finally starting to breathe again. Uma’s helping me with that. And I’m—”

She was about to say ‘_I’m sorry_’, out of pure reflex, before she realized just in time that she was about to apologize for the total wrong thing. Her feelings weren’t something she would be _sorry_ for. She wasn’t going to apologize for wanting to be with Uma, not when she was battling against her trauma over her own sexuality.

What she _could_ be sorry for, however, were the secrecy, all the lying, and the terrible timing she chose to finally tell the truth. So she quickly put herself in check.

“I should’ve told you sooner, that’s a fact. We should’ve sat down and had this conversation in a less rushed and heated way,” the Ravenclaw brunette admitted honestly. “And I’m really sorry I lied. But I was terrified, for obvious reasons.”  
  
“Look I get it E, and it doesn’t change the fact that I’m proud that you came out because there’s really nothing wrong about you being bi. My issue is you getting involved with Uma in the first place. Okay maybe she’s good at Transfiguration but I mean, come on, she’s so—"

But just then, something flicked inside of Evie. That was it, the breaking point of her patience (it didn’t happen very often, to be honest, but when it did...). The molten magma deep within her, that she had been trying to contain to prevent a serious clash with her best friend, finally busted into eruption. And just like that, her whole demeanor changed, noticeably darkening, as she cut the girl’s words sharply.

“She’s what, huh? Evil? A Death Eater? A murderer? For Merlin’s sake, Mal, Uma is none of those things, she is _not_ her aunt! A last name is literally the only thing they have in common. When are you finally going to realize that?” Her walnut gaze, hard as steel, pierced straight through Mal’s face. Her voice dry, though without even rising in volume, and that was probably the scariest part about Evie getting _really_ angry: she was never loud. “She’s only mean to others when her and her mother are unfairly bullied, and you happen to have been doing just that for the past five years.”

She saw the Gryffindor blonde flinch, just barely.

“You’re my best friend, M. I’ll always be here for you, and I love you. I love you so much,” she said in a much, much softer way in spite of how ticked off she was at the moment. Because she meant that, and she really needed it to stick into Mal’s head regardless of the situation. “But no, you _don’t_ get it. And I can’t make all my life decisions revolve around the way you feel about things, or people. Uma is a part of my life now and I intend to keep it that way, whether you like it or not.”

Perhaps Mal would’ve had something to add to this, judging by the worked up look on her face. Certainly, this discussion was far from being over and they will definitely finish it. But as of now, Evie felt the need to be elsewhere, to cool down away from the unbearable tension, and back with a certain turquoise haired girl. Without waiting for a reply, she headed back to the Great Hall.

* * *

“You’re going to dig a hold into the floor if you keep pacing like that, darling.”

Uma heard Harry. Loud and clear. But pacing back and forth was the only thing she could do to keep herself from throwing frustrated blows at the wall until it – or her knuckles – broke. Damn. And to say that she was actually in a good mood, prior to all that.

“Why did she have to wait until the last fucking minute to tell Dragon face about us,” she grumbled, not slowing her pacing one bit.

From the moment she had accepted to be Evie’s date to the ball, this funny feeling had appeared somewhere inside her and she’d known even back then that it had everything to do with Mal. This whole time she was _worried,_ and as usual when it came to Mal, she viscerally hated that. She would’ve talked to the obnoxious blonde herself – and unsparingly at that – if it hadn’t been for her consideration of Evie’s feelings.

She never wanted to pressure the brunette when she assured that she would do it – and mostly, she didn’t want their alone time to be spent talking about Mal – seeing the clock ticking albeit well aware that it was in fact all up to Evie to unveil the truth, but the timing couldn’t have been more inadequate.

Now the ball was about to begin, and she was by herself while Evie was Merlin-knows-where trying to reason with her best friend. Who knew how long that was going to take. Not to mention the amount of instant gossip it had started among the other students. Ugh. Uma just hated it when people got in her business unasked.

In the meantime, Gil had joined them, looking utterly handsome in velvety black dress robes. His hair was down for once, lustrous and impeccably combed back with a neat parting on the left side. Harry’s sailor mouth had gotten the best of him at the sight, and Gil himself had borne the brightest smile Uma had ever seen on him upon seeing his date and best friend. The poor boy’s excitement had immediately died down though, when he noticed that Uma was on the verge of punching holes through the wall. Harry had filled him in with the situation as best as he could and now the two boys were watching their best friend intently, standing at the ready just in case she decided to lash out at anyone who’d have the misfortune of walking too close.

“Yeah, that was pretty fucked up,” Harry couldn’t help but agree.  
  
“Guys, we should try to see things from her point of view. It must’ve been hard for her,” Gil intervened. “That would be like Harry having to tell Uma he was dating M—”  
  
“By all means, don’t you dare say that out loud.” Harry dramatically flattened his hands against his ears, wincing. “Ew. What a horrific vision.”  
  
“I’m sorry. But you see my point?”

Uma pinched the bridge of her nose irritably, stopping in her tracks at last. “Of course Gil, I’m aware of that.”

“Well, you knew what you were getting yourself into with this one, didn’t you?” Harry said.  
  
“I can’t say I didn’t.” Uma rolled her eyes. “Damn it Princess, you really got me,” she grunted under her breath as she ran her hands through her braids. “_Fuck_, I love her.”

There was a silence on the boys’ side, as brown and blue eyes rounded at the shockingly unexpected revelation, before Gil murmured in a not-so-discreet way to Harry, “You heard it too, right? She just used the L-word.”

“Bet she did,” the Slytherin boy scoffed.  
  
“Holy crap.” Gil covered his mouth with his hand. “She’s a goner.”  
  
“You mean she’s totally fucked.”  
  
“Never thought I’d see this day.”

_What in Merlin’s_— Were these two really talking like that as if Uma wasn’t barely even three feet away? “I can hear you, idiots!”

The boys gave her apologetic smiles and shrugs although without looking sorry at all.

“Oh guys look, they’re opening the doors!” Gil pointed in that very direction.

Indeed, under a general hum of excitement from the students standing in the entrance hall, the huge wooden double doors slowly opened in a deep rumble.

Inside, the Great Hall looked even more magical than it usually was. All white, gold and sparkles everywhere. The enchanted ceiling showcased a clear sky that leaked tiny snowflakes high above their heads that then vanished in mid-air. Long, gold ribbons glided over the silvery frost-covered walls like oversized snakes, forming the number ‘1000’ over and over. Hogwarts’ coat of arms hanged from the wall at the front of the hall, in a similar manner as when they showed the banner of the winning House during the end-of-year feasts, surrounded by smaller banners of the four Houses.

It was like entering an ice palace from a fairytale.

The House tables were replaced by a few dozen round ones that could hold up to ten guests, already fancily set up for the upcoming dinner. On the one that was placed in the middle of the central aisle, that held the drinks, a magnificent fountain made of ice soaring from the middle spraying water out of nowhere.

Facing the beauty of it all, Uma even forgot that she was upset for a delightful couple of minutes, staring around her in awe. It was Gil who brought her back to reality.

“So what are you gonna do now?” he questioned.  
  
“Hopefully nothing. I kinda wish they handle this on their own ‘cause I don’t wanna have to deal with Mal’s bitch ass.”

Actually she never did, but even less now.

“Well you can’t really stay out of it for too long, you’re directly involved,” Harry commented matter-of-factly. “Gotta stand by your girlfriend.”  
  
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Uma was quick to correct. “…yet.”  
  
“Ah! Speaking of Davy Jones.” The boy nodded towards the entrance.

Evie had appeared in the doorway and Uma could see the distraught look on her face. Her eyes scanned the room frantically, most likely searching for her date.

“Seven Seas, can you blame me though? I mean just _look_ at her,” she whined, feeling like she was being smacked by how gorgeous the brunette looked even at this distance. “Who told her she could come in here looking this good? Like, the _audacity_ of this girl!”  
  
“Okay. You need to take a breath and relax, love,” Harry said, and Uma did exactly that. “Besides, we can say the same thing about you.”

She glared and scoffed at him, “Oh stop.”

“Because you doubted it?” Gil interjected, in that sweet manner of his. “You’re very beautiful too, Uma. And not just today, every day.”  
  
“I-I… Well th-thank you,” Uma replied softly, though mentally kissing her teeth at herself for stuttering because it wasn’t in her habits, but then again getting such heartfelt compliments wasn’t either. It warmed her heart.

Glancing back in Evie’s direction, she actually made eye contact with the girl and gave her a weak smile, but broke it for one second to whisper warningly to the boys, “I hear one word of what I said earlier out, and y’all are _dead_.”

The Ravenclaw girl determinedly walked a straight line from the entrance to where they were, not even taking a look at her surroundings and the new setting of the Great Hall. She passed by Harry and Gil without really acknowledging them either and surprised pretty much everyone when she outstretched her arms and vehemently wrapped them around Uma’s neck, pulling her close. As often happened when Evie hugged her without a warning, Uma had to take a minute to collect her thoughts before she went from awkwardly standing there to hugging back and relaxing against the girl’s body.

She always smelled so damn _good_.

It suddenly dawned on her that they were interacting in public for the first time. Finally letting people know that they were no strangers to each other at all – minus for the ones who witnessed the whole debacle in the entrance hall, not that that even counted as PDA – but in fact way more than that. She knew she wasn’t the one with the biggest issue when it came to that, thus she wondered how Evie was holding up.

Not loosening her grip the slightest bit, said girl inhaled, then exhaled deeply through her nose, that was near Uma’s ear.

“I take it the chat didn’t go too well?” Uma asked tentatively.  
  
“I lied to my best friend for months about my relationship with her rival. Nothing about this was bound to go well.”

And Uma wasn’t so sure that her voice wasn’t trembling. “Are you crying?”

“No.” The older girl pulled away and let her hands trail down Uma’s arms to grab hers. She was shaken, there was no doubt about that. But her eyes were very much dry when she locked them with her favorite chocolate orbs. “I’m really sorry Uma, about the way I, well, _didn’t_ handle this. I might’ve just ruined our first date.”  
  
“The night only just started, you know. We have plenty of time left.”  
  
“And I’m really looking forward to spending it with you.”

A soft hand came to rest upon Uma’s cheek, the pad of her thumb sweetly going back and forth along her cheekbone and it set her heart on high speed. She just wanted to close her eyes and lean into the touch because it felt good, oh so good. The room, the people, even the whole drama from earlier seemed to start to fade away… until someone cleared their throat loudly, breaking the moment.

Obviously it was Harry.

And Evie, as always, reacted with a lot more finesse than she did as she gracefully turned to the boys, flashing them a smile. “I’m so sorry, I forgot all about my manners. We haven’t been properly introduced, have we? I’m Evie. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Pleasure’s mine, lass.” Harry smirked.  
  
“Nice to meet you too Evie. So you’re really Uma’s girlfriend?”

Ah, Gil, with his eternal innocence-tinted lack of sensitivity that always got Uma torn between the urge to laugh at him and strangle him.

For that one, she’ll definitely have to strangle him.

Evie’s cheeks turned bright pink. “Not, hm, not _officially_… yet. But uh, we… could be, if she still wants to?” She risked a glance at Uma, who was just as flustered. “See what happens.”

Harry chuckled, linking his arm with his date’s, “Okay Gilly, I think it’s time we go and check the buffet. I’m getting hungry.”  
  
“Oh, yeah, good idea,” the blonde boy said in a joyful tone.  
  
“See ya around ladies.” Harry winked at them.  
  
“Yeah, see you.”

The girls watched them walk away for two seconds and Evie’s mouth curved into a cute little rictus. “That went… well, I guess?”

“Not gonna lie, I wasn’t expecting any less from my boys.” Uma sighed. “Fancy a drink?”  
  
“Ugh, please.”

They made their way to the beverage table, and Uma felt like being a true gentlewoman to the fullest. “What will it be?”

“Hmmm.” Evie clicked her tongue as she studied her options. “I think I’ll have pumpkin juice.”

Uma gave her a glass of it, before non-hesitantly grabbing a Butterbeer for herself and surely she did not miss the disapproving look on the brunette’s face, causing her to huff.

“I still can’t believe you don’t like it. Like, it’s just so sweet and it’s got so much flavor.”

Evie eyed the drink skeptically. “Exactly, there’s something in all that flavor that bothers me.”

“You’re so weird.”  
  
“That’s how you like it.”

A weirdo, a beauty _and_ a damn tease. Keeping her eyes off the luscious ‘eat me’ red of Evie’s lipstick turned out to be quite the difficult task. Her own lips had itched for a taste from the beginning and she _could_ have it… but this wasn’t the Room of Requirement. There were about two hundred or so people around them and maybe Evie wasn’t comfortable doing that yet. So instead, she lowered her gaze to another red thing. The heart-shaped jewel at the Ravenclaw girl's neck.

“You’re wearing this.” Uma lifted her hand to touch it.

“I’ve been wearing it every single day since you gifted it to me,” Evie responded.  
  
“With everything that went down, I didn’t get to mention how wonderful you look tonight,” Uma said heartfully. “I’d say like an angel but I think the word that fits best is… a princess. Yeah. A true real-life princess.”  
  
“And _you_, Captain, literally took my breath away when I saw you in the hall. You’re stunningly beautiful—”  
  
“Evie!”

The intruding voice was high-pitched and chirpy, definitely belonging to someone much younger. And sure enough, the girl that had just skipped her way through the Great Hall to hug Evie tightly from the side didn’t look older than twelve years old. She wore a black dress with ruffles around the collar and puffy shoulder pads, a multitude of colorful bracelets and all kinds of equally colorful stuff in her light brown hair.

“Hey baby girl.” Evie reciprocated the hug just as tightly with one arm.

The little girl was smiling from ear to ear as she adoringly stared up at Evie. “Oh my gosh, you look _so_ pretty! Is this the tiara I gave you?”

“Of course, it was perfect for this look. Thank you, you look fabulous too. Kind of edgy, I like it.” Evie praised.  
  
“Thanks! I made all the accessories myself,” she gushed, visibly very proud of herself, then widened her eyes at Uma. “Soooo, is that _her_?”

Evie laughed at the way the Slytherin girl’s eyebrows shot up in puzzlement. “Indeed. Dizzy, this is Uma. Uma, meet my baby sister from another mother, Dizzy,” she said as she gestured back and forth between the two of them.

“Wassup kid.” Uma gave the younger girl a small wave of her hand.  
  
“Hi!” Dizzy beamed, bouncing on the spot. “So you guys are together now, that’s amazing! See, Evie? I told you it wasn’t too late to make things right.”

The astonishment on Uma’s face was at its peak but Evie only smiled in a wordless ‘_I’ll explain later_’.

Dizzy clapped her hands enthusiastically and squealed. “I can’t wait to see you dance!” Then motioning for Evie to bent down to her level as if to tell her a secret, she whisper-yelled in the older girl’s ear, “She’s very pretty too by the way.”

Evie planted a kiss on top of the younger Ravenclaw’s head, who then ran back to wherever she came from and Uma was still a little confused.

“Okay. One, what the hell does the little duckling eat for breakfast? And two, she seems to know quite a lot about us.”  
  
“That’s Dizzy, she’s almost always like that.” Evie explained with a soft chuckle. “And she knows because one night, when you and I were… you know, not on speaking terms, she saw that I was sad and I vented to her. She, um, she’s the first person I told about what happened with my mother.”  
  
“She comforted you? But she’s like what, twelve?”  
  
“Yes, she’s exactly twelve. But you’d be surprised how mature and thoughtful she can be.”

Uma shot her an unconvinced look, only knowing the overly excited and bubbly version of the second-year Ravenclaw. “It’s true!” Evie insisted. “Believe it or not, she gave me the push I didn’t even know I needed to come out of the closet, and come to you.”

“She gave you the idea to forge McGonagall’s handwriting to lure me in the Transfiguration classroom? By the way, that was such a sneaky move. So… _me_ of you.”

Evie straightened her back and held her chin high, a playful smirk on her face. “No, that one was all me. And thanks, I learned from the best.”

“Hell now I’m starting to think I have a bad influence on you,” the turquoise haired girl snorted jestingly. “When’s her birthday?”  
  
“Who, Dizzy? On the sixth of June. Why?”  
  
“Remind me to send her some candy and a ‘thank you’ note.”

The smile she graced Uma with afterwards could have been made of diamonds, for all the Slytherin girl knew, seeing the way it seemed to sparkle. The kind that never failed to set her heart on fire and make her wish she could take notes on what needed to be done or said to bring it out, so she could do it again to see it over and over (little did she know, she never had to make much efforts to get Evie to smile like that). But that vision was cut when, rather suddenly, a pale hand slipped behind her neck underneath her curtain of braids and soft, dark cherry colored lips landed on hers, unknowingly granting one of her wishes and nearly making her drop the drink in her own hand.

It was a short-lived fantasy, however. Uma had barely started to kiss back when Evie abruptly jerked backwards like she had been burned. The skin of her face had gone paler than usual.

“Woah, what just happened?” Uma instantly worried.

The other girl was panting. “I-I just—Gosh I’m sorry. I-I don’t know why I j-just had a thought of… of my mo-mother just now and-and she… I’m so sorry I—”

“Hey, hey, Princess, look at me.” She put her free hand on the brunette’s upper arm, trying to catch her panicked walnut gaze. “It’s okay, breathe.” She instructed. “Look. This is a big step for us, and especially for you. There’s no rush, we don’t have to kiss in front of the whole school if you’re not ready.”

She meant it. Evie’s well-being mattered just as much as her own at this point, for she had figured that this past ordeal of hers wouldn’t disappear overnight.

The older girl nodded her head fast. “Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry.”

“And stop apologizing.”  
  
“I’m so—okay.”  
  
“Wait here.” Uma went to retrieve a glass of water and gave it to Evie. “Drink up. I like your face better with color on it.” The brunette obliged without questioning. “Better?” The Slytherin girl asked, smiling when she got an affirmative response. “Good. Now please tell me you didn't leave any lipstick on my face.”

Evie almost choked with the last of her water. “Really? That’s your biggest concern?”

So maybe the joke was questionable, but at least it had the desired effect of distracting Evie’s mind.

They then spent the next hour socializing. A lot of their respective ‘acquaintances’ whom they barely even spoke to found sudden interest in them, which resulted in them purposely avoiding some people to dodge triggering questions like ‘_Since when are you into girls?_’ or ‘_You and the Triskelion girl? I thought Mal hated her._’ and so on. Thankfully, Evie’s closest Ravenclaw friends, Doug and Audrey, were a lot more respectful despite their surprise. Having shared a few classes over the years, Uma and Audrey had already encountered each other on numerous occasions without taking the time to talk, but now seemed to hit it of well. Perhaps the fact that she seemed to have a thing against Mal, for some odd reason, helped with that. On her side, Evie happily mingled with Harry, Gil and Carlos, appearing to be quite fond of the white haired Hufflepuff boy as she spent most of the time chatting with him and giving Jane endless beauty tips.

All eight of them ended up at the same table after dinner was announced to be served. The food appeared after heartwarming speeches from Professor Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic about the overall history of Hogwarts, what it had meant to the wizarding community for a thousand years, and what it’ll mean for the thousand more to come. It worked exactly like their regular meals, only with different but still mouth-watering dishes gathered in the middle of the table. There was smoked salmon, roast lamb and even sweet potato lasagna, among others. Uma tried a little bit of everything – except the beetroot salad because those were just _nasty_ – but not too much since for once she was wearing something tight, she didn’t want to bloat. And of course, they still had to dance.

_Seven freaking Seas, the dance_… Simmer the hell down, nerves.

Also, Evie didn’t fail to notice that Mal had returned, her expression a troubled one every time she looked over where the blonde was sitting two tables away from them with the other Gryffindors, and Uma never really knew what she could say to make the brunette feel better that wouldn’t sound rude. At least, whether she had done it on purpose or not, Mal was placed so that they were only able to see the top of her shoulders and the back of her head, so no eye contact was made to make things even more tense.

After the meal, Dumbledore stood up and asked for the students to do the same. With a single wave of his wand, he cleared a large area at the front of the Hall and conjured a raised platform into existence in the corner, with orchestra instruments set upon it. The musicians came into view and settled getting ready to play.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Hogwarts’ hymn,” the headmaster declared, his eyes twinkling.

Uma expected to hear the hideous _Hoggy Warty Hogwarts_ song they were requiered to sing sometimes – well, minus herself and she was glad – but the melody that was played was a lot different. It was a slow, soulful tune that somehow had a sombre tone to it at the same time, but very beautiful regardless, sending shivers down her spine. She found herself tearing up halfway through it and she blinked her eyes furiously. Hell no. She had no intention to ruin that damned makeup.

The crowd erupted in loud applauds and cheers when the song ended, and the current Head Boy and Head Girl – who happened to be each other’s dates – walked up to the center of the newly arranged dance floor. Then soon as the first notes of the next lilting music rose, engaged in an elegant waltz. By themselves, for about half a minute, afterwards they were joined by the rest of the seventh-year prefects and their respective partners.

They all seemed pretty at ease doing it, Uma noted as anxiousness began to fill her once again. She almost didn’t feel Evie tug at her arm, urging her to move forward. Right. Evie was in sixth year and a prefect, therefore they were next. And she could tell the girl was just as nervous.

_Shit. Okay. Remember what Harry taught you._

Before the brunette could do otherwise, Uma gently put her left hand around her waist and took her right hand in her free one, and with a surprised frown, Evie placed her other hand on Uma’s shoulder. The Slytherin girl only smirked.

_Here we go. And don’t fuck it up._

The first couple of steps were rather… clumsy, if she did say so herself. She did need to figure out how to work these shoes properly in this context, as well as the overload of fabric around their legs, but she focused. Counted the beats in her head just like Harry advised her to and tried to forget that _a lot_ of people were watching.

It got easier as the song progressed, the both of them feeling more and more relaxed, and Uma allowed a smile to form on her lips. Evie, on the other hand, was just ethereal. As graceful as a swan, letting Uma take her anywhere she pleased. Her body was flawlessly in tune with the music, her movements lithe and controlled as she easily followed the other girl’s lead.

Uma guided Evie across the dance floor never once looking away from her irresistible walnut eyes, that were filled with so much adoration and bliss that she feared that her knees might let her down. The warmth and intimacy between them grew more powerful by the second, Uma’s heartbeats growing steadily along with it. And soon enough, she had gathered enough confidence to make the Ravenclaw girl turn under her arm. The way her dress twirled with the motion was enthralling, and so was Evie’s giggle as she was pulled back towards her.

“You’re doing really good, Captain,” she whispered.  
  
“Yeah?” Uma squeezed her hand slightly before making her turn again. “I think so too.”

Now she wouldn’t go and claim that she had magically turned into the best dancer but to her, in this particular moment, their dance was perfect. If, by the end of it, her breath was taken away, she would know the exact reason why and wouldn’t mind it one bit.

They found themselves very close to Mal and Ben at some point, for the couple had entered the waltz frenzy along with the other fifth-year prefects. So had Harry and Gil, later on. And Carlos and Jane. But Uma paid none of them absolutely no mind.

Because that moment was all that mattered. She was here, with Evie. She was making her Princess dance, and nothing could’ve made her happier.

* * *

  *  **Flashback**

_Mal’s mouth fell open in utter disbelief as she watched her best friend disappear around the corner with a swoosh of her navy blue gown. She turned to Ben, appalled that he had stood there silent the whole time._

_“So what, you’re not gonna say anything?” she said angrily._  
  
_“What do you want me to say?” Ben sighed._  
  
_“I don’t know, _something_! I mean…” With a growl, she ran a hand through her blonde hair so roughly that it pulled at her scalp. It was, nevertheless, very little pain compared to how she felt right now. “I can’t believe it. How _could _she do this? My own fucking _best friend_!”_

_Ben stepped closer to her. “She really wasn’t trying to hurt you, you know.”_

_He tried to reach for her hands, but Mal snatched them away as she snapped, “Are you seriously defending her right now? Wow, it’s great to see what side you’re on.”_

_“I’m on nobody’s side, Mal. I was just as shocked as you are when I found out.”_

_Mal opened her mouth to speak then closed it, in thought, and scoffed, “Wait.” The little laugh that left her throat was devoid of any amusement. Creepy. “You _knew_?”_

_“Yes,” Ben confessed with an apologetic sigh. “Evie told me, in the trophy room the other day after you left.”_  
  
_“So you’ve known about this for this long and you didn’t tell me?”_  
  
_“It was Evie’s secret, it really wasn’t my place to tell.”_

_The blonde rolled her eyes. “Yeah right. So it really doesn’t bother you at all huh? Her and Uma? Knowing the pain this family has put people through? But you wouldn’t know what it feels like, would you. It’s not your brother who’s been brutally murdered. Hell, you’ve always been an only child.”_

_Now in her heart, she knew she should not have said that because it wasn’t true at all._

_“I do know how that feels like, Mal. In case you’ve forgotten, I’d known Mahlon my whole life and he was like a brother to me too,” the Gryffindor boy argued, kind of hurt that Mal would belittle his feeling like this but he did his best not to come off to harsh. “But his killer is paying for her crimes, in_ Azkaban._ Not in our school. And I know you’re not over it, I know you’re still hurting, but Evie’s right when she says you’ve wrongfully taken it out on Uma this entire time.”_

_“You think I don’t know that? I was the one who came to her in the first place in the freaking owl shop. And I also remember the three of us in the Hogwarts Express, and how great that was.”_

_Her eyes filled with tears that she couldn’t hold back. “But then I heard her name, and something snapped inside of me. I thought of Mahlon and… I couldn’t stand the fact that despite knowing who she’s related to, I still wanted to be her friend. It just _hurt_, so much, and I—I was so_ mad_… But when I finally came back to my senses it was too late, she hated me. And what I felt then was just… I don’t know. I guess it was easier to keep being angry at her and hate her too, rather than admit that I’d fucked up...”_

_Too much. It was all too much. The girl broke down into sobs and Ben wrapped his arms around her petite frame, feeling his heart break a little. He held her tight as she buried her head against his chest, her tears spilling out smearing mascara on his shirt but he didn’t care. He knew a spell that would clean it off._

_“If you don’t feel like partying anymore we can go back to the common room and call it a night,” the boy whispered when she calmed down a little bit, softly stroking her hair._

_Mal sniffed as she shook her head. “Uh uh. No way. I’ll catch dragon pox before I let Shrimpy ruin my night. Besides, it’s your night too. Plus your parents said they expected to see us. I just need to go up there to freshen up a bit.”_

_“Okay. Do you want to go alone?”_

_Plunging her bloodshot eyes into her boyfriend’s, she said, “No.”_

  *  **End of flashback**

The Gryffindor couple quit dancing before Evie and Uma did, and as she took small sips of the drink that Ben had just handed her, Mal couldn’t help it: she couldn’t take her eyes off the twirling tangle of teal and blue sweeping across the dance floor, the girls attached to it looking unbearably content.

Especially Uma.

Earlier, she had been able to push her negative thoughts to the back of her mind long enough to let herself enjoy her dance with her boyfriend. But looking back at it now, she hated to recognize that Shrimpy was doing a decent job at leading her and Evie’s waltz – not as good Ben did though, considering that the two of them had already done this in the past – and Evie seemed to be having the time of her life in the arms of her new insufferable turquoise haired ‘_girlfriend_’.

Mal knew she should be happy for Evie, she genuinely wanted to. But it was close to impossible when she was just so _angry_ at her for initiating this relationship and keeping it going behind her back. Nine months, she had done the math. Evie had been lying to her for _nine_ whole fucking months.

That wasn’t what best friends did. Best friends didn’t mock each other’s feelings. Best friends didn’t _lie_.

And while she knew Evie was right about not having to consult her before making decisions for herself, and about the way she treated Uma (trust, she was well aware of it deep down, it’d just hurt her pride like a bitch to actually admit it), she couldn’t stand the thought of them being all lovey-dovey. _Seeing_ it was even worse. It made her blood boil. She had gotten so used to hate the girl and paint her as the enemy that it felt like the ultimate betrayal.

And that, alas, also hurt like a motherfucking bitch.

The sudden presence of the boys from the Gryffindor Quidditch team next to her startled her, but she was relieved that they diverted Ben’s attention from her because she wasn’t in the chatting mood.

The Slytherin and Ravenclaw girls eventually exited the dance floor, probably to quench their thirst since they headed to the drink table for a glass of water. That was until Uma put her glass down and walked away from Evie. The brunette was alone again. Mal could go over there and talk to her. Or…

Head turning towards the doors, the sight of blue braids swinging from side to side as Uma made her way out gave her another – probably bad – idea. And it was with that bad idea on her mind that, after muttering to Ben that she’d be back, Mal left the Great Hall and followed behind Uma unnoticed.

Turned out the girl was only going to the bathroom, and upon arriving there Mal surprised herself by hesitating outside for a few minutes. The small rational part of her was making some noise in the back of her head, begging for her to stop and _think_ before she did something stupid that would do no one no good. But it wasn’t really like Mal to listen to that little voice, otherwise she wouldn’t even have been in this situation to begin with.

_Fuck it._

She brutally kicked the bathroom door open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Hogwarts' Hymn_ from the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire soundtrack, is honestly one of my absolute favorites. Always gets me in my damn feelings hoping for a letter that'll never come. All of them to be honest. I actually have a playlist with all eight soundtracks that I listen to almost every time I write this and that's how I get most of the inspiration lol.
> 
> Like I mentioned in the last chapter's notes, the next chapter will be the last one *tears up* … I ain't making any promises as to when I'll update though, I start an internship soon and I know I'll have a lot of work to do. But I _do_ promise it'll come! Just a little bit more patience you guys.
> 
> Thank you for giving this story so much love!!! I really, really appreciate it. Until next time!


	12. The Millennial Ball - Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey heyyyy! Long time no see!
> 
> It's a little crazy all around the world these days so I hope you're all doing good and staying safe! Here's a little something to keep you entertained. 
> 
> And no it's not an April fool.
> 
> Enjoy !

Uma heard the bathroom door slam open before she exited her stall. The loud, sudden sound made her jump, and she just had to cuss the person out under her breath because using the bathroom with this dress on had been tricky enough already. When she stepped out, however, scowl secured on her face and ready to give the person a dark stare, she hadn’t been expecting to come face to face with Mal.

If the Gryffindor blonde had maintained a decent composure in the Great Hall up until moments before, now she wasn’t doing anything to hide the fact that she was livid. All flushed red face and balled up fists, looking as though someone had just stolen her Pixie Puffs.

But Uma was rather unfazed by that.

She rolled her eyes hard and proceeded to wash her hands. “The fuck you want, Dragon face.”

“Why did you do it?” Mal snapped through her clenched jaw.  
  
“Now what the hell are you talking about?”  
  
“Don’t play innocent Shrimpy. You know exactly what this is about.”

Of course she knew. Right now there could only be one reason why the girl would be fuming and Uma couldn’t totally blame her. She would’ve felt the same way if it was her. This confrontation was bound to occur one moment or another. Now had she wanted it to happen tonight when she was actually having a good time? Absolutely not. Still here they were, and the outcome was uncertain, to say the least.

Assuming that she would have no need for it, Uma had left her wand in her dormitory and right now she was hoping that Mal’s wasn’t hidden somewhere underneath that purple ball gown.

“Evie told me how you and her got so _close_.” Emerald disdain-filled eyes looked the Slytherin girl up and down.  
  
“So?” Uma said nonchalantly as she shook her wet hands above the sink.  
  
“Since when do you _tutor_ people?”  
  
“Since the day of none of your damn business,” the turquoise haired girl retorted with sass.  
  
“That’s bullshit. I don’t believe for one second that there’s not some kind of twisted scheme behind all that.”

At that, Uma just had to turn and face her, and meet her angry gaze defiantly to clap back. “First of, I don’t give a murtlap’s ass what you believe. Second, you sound even more stupid right now than you usually do so you might as well stop talking.”

“So you just accepted to help her out of the mere goodness of your heart?” Mal said like it was the most implausible thing she could’ve thought of.  
  
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”  
  
“I swear to Merlin if you’re using Evie to get at me—”

A noise that was halfway between a snort and a scoff came from Uma’s throat, mainly because this had been the _exact_ point of the whole thing… until she realized her ass was falling for Evie, and was falling hard. Not the thing she was the proudest of to this day. Which was why she hadn’t told the brunette about that part yet. So to Mal? There was only one option.

Though maybe someday she’ll consider telling Evie. They promised to be honest, after all.

“Oh please. It’s not always all about you Mal.”  
  
“No. This is my best friend we’re talking about.” The other girl’s expression hardened. “I won’t let you hurt her. If anything happens to her I’ll fucking kill you.”

Uma tilted her head, unimpressed. “Wow. And I’m supposed to be the twisted one.”

Just as Mal opened her mouth to speak again, the door swung open to let in a younger redhead girl in a coral colored dress, who stopped dead in her tracks as two pairs of eyes shot her menacing looks.

“Out!” Both Mal and Uma shouted at her in unison.

The poor girl’s face covered in fear and she ran out as fast as she got in.

Uma hated to snap at people who didn’t deserve it, but since Mal had decided to be a bitch she needed to settle this once and for all. Although she had to admit she kind of enjoyed seeing her this tormented.

“Now look. I won’t say I’m sorry that you’ve been lied to for so long because I’m clearly not but you really need to stop thinking you’re the center of the universe.”

The blonde’s frown deepened. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh but I think I do,” Uma sneered, crossing her arms to refrain herself from putting them to a better though more violent use. “You’re so full of yourself, and so used to boss everybody around that you can’t stand it when someone disagrees with you, can you.”  
  
“You don’t know a _thing_ about me, Shrimpy.”  
  
“Don’t need to. It’s obvious. You wish everybody in your circle would hate me because _you_ hate me, and you’re mad because it’s not the case.”  
  
“That’s not—”

But the Slytherin girl was on a roll at this point. After the shrimp prank in first year, after hearing what Mal had to say about her and her family, she had only ever expressed how hurt she had been to Harry and even that had been quite brief. The damage on her pride and ego had been such that, for a long time, bringing it up felt like cutting through a barely scarred wound with the blade of the sharpest silver dagger. She even went to the point of blaming her eleven-year-old self for having been so careless and naive, believing so heartfully that she had found a friend in Mal.

Then she came to realize that Harry, Gil and Carlos were all that she really needed and the best she could’ve ever wished for. Even five years later when she looked at Mal and her clique she knew she was better off this way, without her, with her boys. Her crew, like she called them sometimes. But she sure had yet to forget, let alone forgive.

The idea of addressing it directly with the blonde never crossed her mind though. Well, maybe some things could only remain unspoken for so long.

“Did it ever occur to you that not everyone sees me as a monster or blames me for shit that I didn’t do?” she cut her off stiffly. “Not everyone is as judgmental as you, Mal. There are people out there who’ve been _clever_ enough to understand that my family’s antics don’t define who I am as a person. People who actually took the time to get to know me. There are people who _like_ me. One of them being Evie. And I genuinely fucking like her, too.”

She knew how she said that she wouldn’t justify herself, but it just came. It needed to be said. “So yeah, we ‘_got close_’—” she made quotation marks with her fingers to sarcastically mimic Mal’s phrasing from earlier. “—and guess what, I’m sure from now on we’ll only get closer. And I couldn’t care less that you don’t like it because there’s nothing you can do about it, you hear me? Not a bloody thing.”

Both Mal’s mouth and right hand twitched as she took a few steps closer, with what looked like a clear intention to deliver a blow. So she hadn’t brought her wand either. “You little—”

Ever so slightly startled, Uma took a subtle step backwards but straightened her back to defy the Gryffindor girl as she let out a cold, humorless chuckle. “_Oooh_. You gonna hit me? I could take you anytime.” She knew that by going that she was only poking the dragon even more, boldly invading Mal’s personal space. “But I won’t, because _that_ would hurt Evie.”

This seemed to wipe all previous fury off the girl’s face, to replace it with some sort of angry desperation with the hint of an awakening. As if she suddenly became aware of the situation they were in, and what was at stake. She let her arms drop feebly at her sides.

_There bitch. Finally something your last two brain cells can process._

Uma decided that they had talked enough.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date to get back to,” she said with feigned, exaggerated courtesy before she walked away, but still stopped as she was halfway out the door for one last word. “You’re not the only one in this room who cares about Evie.”

How long Mal stayed in the bathroom after that? Uma wouldn’t know but it was longer than the time she took to calm herself down before going back to the Great Hall. Yet Evie still sensed that something was up and Uma felt a pang of guilt in her chest seeing the face the Ravenclaw girl made when she loosely recounted the incident. She knew that all Evie wanted was for everybody to get along.

But on her side, Uma had a feeling they wouldn’t have that anytime soon.

* * *

Mal had returned to the Great Hall completely defeated and even more confused than before. Everything that went down in just a couple of hours had her head buzzing and it wouldn’t surprise her if a migraine crept its way there by the time she’d go to bed.

It was supposed to be the best night of the year, and it was slowly becoming one of the worst. There was a freaking _ball_ in Hogwarts, they were supposed to party and _have fun_, yet she was fighting with her best friend in the whole world over…

… love?

She couldn’t stop thinking about what Uma had said in the bathroom, about her and Evie’s feelings towards one another. Were they in love? The brunette said they were dating. Uma simply said that they really liked each other. Neither one of them mentioned anything about love.

“You think it’s real?” Mal asked out of the blue.  
  
“What?” Ben responded, a bit confused.

He didn’t once leave her side, bless his soul.

The girl nodded towards where Evie and Uma were chatting nearby. “This. Them. You think they really feel… _that_ way about each other?”

“Well, the way I see it, I believe Evie wouldn’t have put so much at risk if they didn’t.”

She hated it but he had a point.

“She lied to me.”  
  
“I know. But look at her now. Don’t you just love to see her like this?” he said with a fond smile.

Mal looked over at the pair again. The brunette was talking animatedly, as much with her hands than with her mouth, to highlight whatever she was saying. She was radiant, Mal couldn’t deny that.

“It’s that smile that she always has when she talks about a book that she really likes,” she recognized, a bit shamefully, with a sigh.

It was always such a beautiful and precious thing to see on Evie. That expression of pure joy and carefreeness that mostly came when she was really interested in something. And now, well, it was obvious that she was interested in Uma. Whatever it was that she saw in the Slytherin girl, she was committed and it showed. They both were. Every so often, hands caressed cheeks. Fingers laced together, lips kissed the back of hands, smiles never left faces…

_Blimey. It_ is _real. Evie and Uma are together for real._

Why did this feel like something she would never be able to get used to?

“This might be the perfect opportunity for you and Uma to put your differences aside and start over, don’t you think?”

Mal glared at her boyfriend like he had grown a second head. “Whoa, what—”

“Just think about it.” He shrugged.  
  
“I… Ben, we have so much history and so much damage’s already been done, I—”  
  
“I know. But you have to consider Evie’s feelings now. I don’t think she’d enjoy seeing her best friend and her, um, the girl she’s romantically involved with, fight all the time.” He took her hand in his and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her face. “I know how much you value your friendship. Would it be worth it to lose it over something that can be fixed?”

Her gaze saddened and dropped to their intertwined fingers. “How can you be so sure it can be fixed?”

“Because we’re not kids anymore, Mal. Part of growing up is becoming mature enough to let the past be the past, acknowledge our mistakes and learn from them, so that we can move forward for everyone’s best interest.”

What if he was right? What if it was finally time for this page to be turned? Of course she didn’t want to lose her best friend, and she knew Evie didn’t want to lose her either. Evie deserved to be happy.

“_You’re not the only one in this room who cares about Evie._”

Would Uma be open for a reconciliation if that meant keeping Evie happy? Mal didn’t know the other girl enough to be sure. The only thing she was well aware of was that they both had really big egos and the pride that came along with it. Burying the hatchet would mean putting it aside completely and Mal didn’t really know how she felt about this.

But for Evie’s sake…

“Do you realize what you’re suggesting?” she said in a whisper, but Ben heard it loud and clear.  
  
“I do. And I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I didn’t think you were capable of it.”

* * *

It was around eleven thirty and the party was going rather smoothly for a majority of the guests, students and adults alike. There weren’t so much people dancing now for most of the waltzing had sort of worn everybody’s legs out but the orchestra was still playing, the soft music mixing with the gentle hum of the numerous conversations going on.

Evie had allowed Harry and Gil to ‘steal’ Uma for a moment so she was currently by herself, but she didn’t mind. Everything had happened sort of fast tonight, thus she was just now getting the opportunity to sit down and sort her thoughts.

Finally being able to be with Uma, out in the open, was a bliss. Even though she could feel some people look and sense that others were talking. Well they had a good reason to, after all. None of them could have possibly forgotten about Uma, covered in shrimp, undergoing Mal’s first fit of rage. Or Mal, in a lizard form, at the pointing end of Uma’s wand.

Mal…

Evie’s chest clenched at the thought of her best friend. The other, more painful side of the Sickle. Yes, she had the girl she wanted at her side, but as a result she couldn’t even celebrate what was probably the biggest event they would ever get to attend during their school time with her own best friend. It felt like she just _couldn’t_ have both.

When Uma told her that Mal came to find her in the bathroom, she had legit wanted to pull her own hair out.

She really didn’t want to find herself in a situation where she would have to pick a side, because she would be incapable to do so.

“_I told you it was wrong! Nothing good can ever come from—_”

_No one asked you, Mommy!_

“Evie,” a male voice called from behind her.

The girl turned, pleased to see a brunette boy in a royal blue suit. “Ben, hi!”

But this gave way to sudden nervousness. She hadn’t gotten the chance to speak with him since the altercation in the corridor earlier. And sure, Ben was smiling rather warmly at the moment but how could she know he wasn’t low-key mad at her.

“What a night, huh?” he said with a sigh.  
  
“Yeah, you could say that,” Evie chuckled anxiously. But then the question that was burning her tongue blurted, “Are you angry with me?”  
  
“What would I be angry for?”

Evie hung her head in shame. “Well, for me not telling Mal about Uma before tonight, the fight, this whole drama… You guys didn’t show up until dinner, and Mal had been crying, I saw it.” She sighed heavily. “I feel like I ruined you guys’ night, I’m so sorry.”

“We knew it would be a tough pill to swallow for her, didn’t we?” He quirked his brow.  
  
“Yes but—”  
  
“It’s _true_ that you could’ve found a better place and time but hey, what’s done is done. Now we need to work with it.”  
  
“Ben…”  
  
“Evie, when I told you I got your back, I meant it. I got Mal’s too. I’m not letting any of you down.” Ben gave her bare shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It’ll get better. And as far as I’m concerned, I’m having a great—”

He didn’t quite get to finish that sentence. “There you are, Ben. We’ve been trying to get ahold of you all night.”

The Minister of Magic, Adam Beast, and his wife were approaching them. The first thing Evie found herself thinking upon seeing the tall man was that genetics worked in stupendous ways.

“Hello Dad. Yeah, sorry. I had to go back to the Gryffindor Tower before dinner to take care of something and afterwards, well, you guys were busy socializing with the officials… and dancing.” Ben smirked knowingly at his parents.  
  
“You’ll be happy to know your father hasn’t lost his touch,” Mrs. Beast said with a soft giggle.  
  
“Is everything alright son?” the Minister asked in a serious tone.  
  
“Yes, nothing to worry about,” Ben reassured him.  
  
“If you say so.” The older man gave him an affectionate pat on the back before turning to Evie. “Who’s your friend?”

Ben’s grin reached his ears. “This is Evie! I told you about her a while back, remember?”

“Yes, yes. He did talk very highly of you,” Mr. Beast said to Evie.

She side eyed the Gryffindor boy with a little smirk as she shook the hand that was offered to her. “Did he? Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Beast.” She then reached out to the woman. “And good evening to you too, Mrs. Beast.”

She took Evie’s hand in both of hers and squeezed gently. “Please dear, call me Belle. It’s lovely to see you again. You look marvelous.”

“Thank you very much Mrs. Bea—Belle. So do you. This dress is gorgeous!”

The Ravenclaw brunette wasn’t a fan of the color yellow per se, but the gown Belle was wearing was sumptuous – and obviously very expensive and custom made.

“So how does it feel to be back here?” she asked charmingly.  
  
“It’s amazing. This place has changed so much but at the same time it’s just as I remember it.”

Ben’s mother was just as sweet and charming as she was when they first met on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters three months ago. The two fell into easy conversation as the woman told Evie about her time in Hogwarts, being a former Ravenclaw prefect and Head Girl, and a hilarious story about how her friend Rapunzel ended up with seventy feet long hair after a Hair-Regrowing spell accidently hit her.

Next to them, father and son were discussing other matters until Mr. Beast asked:

“Where is Mal, by the way?”  
  
“Oh, she’s over there with—”

The abruptness with which Ben interrupted himself caused Evie to look his way, then towards the direction he was showing. And she felt her heart drop to her stomach.

Mal was ‘over there’ indeed, which in this case happened to be the buffet, with…

“With _my_ date,” she hissed in a panicked, high-pitched voice, grabbing Ben’s wrist urgently. “Do you think we should intervene?”

The girls stood at a safe distance from each other and appeared to be only talking, but still, you never knew with these two. They did _not_ need a repeat of the previous bathroom encounter.

“It doesn’t look heated but yeah, just in case,” the Gryffindor boy agreed, to her relief. “Sorry Mom, Dad.”  
  
“Excuse me, Belle.” She gave the visibly confused woman a deeply apologetic look.

They got to Mal and Uma in record time.

“—and that’s supposed to mean something to me?” the latter was saying with a bored expression on her face, arms crossed over her chest.  
  
“Hey,” Ben interjected, putting himself between them and Evie did the same.

Uma snorted, rolling her eyes at him, and the Ravenclaw brunette frowned disapprovingly. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Mal said coolly. “We were just talking.”  
  
“Okay, why don’t we—”

Just then, a cry that pretty much sounded like someone in agonizing pain ripped through the room and it was so loud and piercing that it nearly made their souls leave their bodies. Everyone turned towards the source of the noise, the stage, and let out a general gasp of astonishment. Instead of an orchestra, there was now a group of witches and wizards wearing some artfully torn black robes, with heavy dark makeup and crazy hairstyles, all set behind different – most likely magical – instruments like drums, a keyboard and several guitars. The man who was standing in the middle, the lead singer and probably the one who had just screamed, was holding onto some kind of small cone that amplified his voice.

“Alright Hogwarts, are you ready for some _real_ music?” he hollered into it again, earning loud cheers from the students, who finally understood what was going on.

Evie was one of them. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, bouncing on the spot with booming excitement. “Holy _freaking_ poisoned apples! It’s the Weird Sisters! I _love_ them!”

“Me too!” Mal and Uma exclaimed at the same time, the both of them just as happily surprised, before shooting each other scathing looks.  
  
“Guys…” Evie whined with a sigh.

“I said: are you _READY_?”

The students screamed even louder at that and gathered in front of the stage as the band began to play a catchy, upbeat tune. The ones who hadn’t danced at all when the orchestra was doing the animation were certainly rejoicing now. Even some of the adults, in the background, seemed to be pleased by this change of scenery.

“I had no idea they were coming! Come on, let’s dance!” Ben shouted, and without waiting for an answer he and Mal rushed to the dance floor.

“_ARE YOU READY?_”

Uma was still standing looking all kinds of dumbfounded with her mouth open, but Evie was too eager to give her more time to adjust. She seized her hand tightly and dragged her towards the crowd.

And from then on, it became a _real_ party. For everyone.

Audrey couldn’t hide her amazement as Doug proved to be a really good dancer. Carlos and Jane were both indulged in a pretty wild twist. Jay and Lonnie had a small circle cleared around them because their dance was somewhat acrobatic. Harry and Gil were apparently throwing a contest of who had the most ridiculous moves. And even Mal, who had been sulking the entire evening, was now jumping around and shouting the lyrics like she was the one on stage, beside Ben who faked playing guitar.

But the way Uma danced though, was hypnotizing. There was just this natural attractiveness emanating from the Slytherin girl right now, with how her body moved to the beat of the music, hips rolling and braids cleaving through the air with her every move. Then there was the way she ran her hands through said braids, and don’t even get her _started_ on the facial expressions. Like did she _really_ have to be biting her lower lip like that…

Evie forgot to close her mouth more than once.

And she knew damn well Uma understood the effect she had on her. She was playing with it even, as showed the seductive smirk she flashed before she screamed over the music, “I know you like what you see Princess but come on, show me what you got!”

The Ravenclaw brunette raised her eyebrow, taking on the challenge. She let herself go and gave everything she had. As much as she loved her dress, she kind of wished she was wearing something less bulky but hey, at least it twirled amazingly when she spun. Uma cheered loudly, unleashing her inner fan girl.

One drawback of being part of a crowd of hysteric teenagers though, was that the possibility of getting shoved and pushed around by said teenagers was higher. But in this case, when it happened to Uma, it caused her to bump into Evie’s front and boy, you could be sure that _neither_ of them would complain about that. On the contrary, hands firmly grabbed the Ravenclaw girl by her hips as a pair of plump lips hovered teasingly over hers—

“Nuh-uh, not in here ladies!”

As Gil and Harry both popped up at Uma’s sides, their intentions unclear, Evie felt a tug at her arm before she was pulled sideways but she laughed when she realized it was Ben. He was holding Mal’s hand in his other one and made the both of them turn. Then Mal hooked her arm with hers and they both screamed into an imaginary microphone.

In the heat of this moment, it felt like they were good. Like the most recent events never occurred.

“_No_! You _bastards_!”

Harry and Gil had apparently thought that it was a good idea to team up to lift Uma from the ground and throw her up in the air, which the girl seemed to be _loving_ judging by her strident screams of protest.

“Ahhh put me the fuck down!”

But at the same time she was laughing so why would they?

It went on like this for a couple more songs, as the Weird Sisters performed their biggest hits and delivered a great energy that was easily matched by their young audience. Soon Evie heard Mal declaring she needed to drink something so she made a run for the beverage table.

And Evie followed. She didn’t quite know what she was expecting, but she needed to talk to her.

“… Hey.”

The blonde returned her smile, just barely. “Hey.”

Oh dear Merlin. The tension between them was so thick one could cut through it with a knife.

“So that was fun,” Evie said in a delusional attempt to lighten the mood.  
  
“Yeah, it was.”

Mal darted her gaze away as she took small sips from her glass. Of course… Evie wasn’t stupid. She knew it would take more than a wizard rock concert to fix what had just been broken between her and the girl.

“You have every reason to be mad at me.” She sounded as dejected as she felt inside.  
  
“I’m not _mad_—” Mal countered quickly. “Or maybe I am, a little bit. But mostly right now I’m confused, and a little hurt.”  
  
“I didn’t mean for that to happen. I swear, M, I would never _ever_ do anything to purposefully hurt you.”

At last, the Gryffindor girl looked at her, and Evie could see the very things she had just mentioned in the depth of her eyes. “I know. But there’s just like a million things going through my mind right now.”

“We can talk about it—”  
  
“_No_.” Mal seemed to regret, right away, the rudeness with which this came out. “Shit.” She sighed before continuing in a softer tone, “I mean, things that I need to think over, by myself.”

That was it. She was pushing her away. Evie felt a pinch in her heart that almost caused her actual pain, eyes stinging as they began to fill with tears. Her voice shifted to a trembling whisper.

“This isn’t the end of us, right?”

Mal shook her head no, her green orbs getting watery as well. “No. I-I could never stand that, E. I just need to wrap my head around stuff… I need some time.”

So at least, they had that. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. If anything, it left an extremely bittersweet feeling within Evie. She nodded slowly, lips pursed tight, trying to prevent herself from crying even though she knew it was useless. But she understood, she really did.

“Okay. Well you’ll know where to find me when you’re ready.”  
  
“Yeah,” Mal uttered.  
  
“And, um… I love you.”

Her face dropped even more when Mal just stared at her, and didn’t immediately say it back like she usually would. Evie felt her jaw shudder. “M?”

“I love you, too.”

And on those words, it was with a heavy weight inside of her and a tear rolling down her cheek that Evie watched her best friend walk away.

* * *

Uma released a sigh of relief as pushed her way out of the dance floor. She thought she would never be able to escape Harry and Gil who obviously had more energy and stamina than her when it came to partying. But one, she was starting to get slightly sweaty and thirsty, and two, Evie had gone before her and she needed to find her.

The brunette was drinking gillywater near the wall on the left side of the room. She may have smiled widely upon seeing Uma approaching, the sheen of freshly shed tears in her eyes alarmed the turquoise haired girl, whose grip instantly tightened around her own glass of water, ready to punch whoever _the hell_ had made her beautiful Princess cry.

But then Evie confessed it was because she had just talked to Mal.

_Shit_. She said she wouldn’t punch Dragon face.

“I’m sorry,” she merely said.

Because she didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t know how to help with that.

“Don’t be.”

‘_This song is going out to all the lovers out there_  
_Hold each other tight, and keep each other warm_’

Evie let out a soft chuckle at the impelling lyrics, as the band started their next song. A ballad.

“May I have this dance, Captain?”

Uma rolled her eyes in spite of herself, but it was playful. “Like you have to ask.”

Evie put both of their glasses down and gently took Uma’s arms to wrap them around her neck, and joined her own hands in the small of Uma’s back. As per usual, the Ravenclaw girl’s perfume smelled like her sweetest dreams. They began swaying from left to right in rhythm with the slow music. Evie was leading this time, and not another word was exchanged. They didn’t need to.

‘_Don’t let this magic die_  
_The answer’s there, just look in her eyes_’

Dutifully, Uma looked up, easily finding these walnut irises that she loved so much. Despite the slight redness, she really liked what she saw in there. Maybe it was a little too early to call it love – or at least on Evie’s side – but still, she saw a promise. A promise that she’ll try her hardest to make this thing work, to get over the past and make the best of what was to come, together. And the turquoise haired girl felt exactly the same. They would not let this magic die indeed.

‘_And make your final move_  
_Don’t be scared, she wants you, too_’

With their bodies nearly touching one another’s and their faces so close, her heart started to race, breaths getting shorter in anticipation. She saw the light blush on Evie’s cheeks as the brunette’s gaze flickered to her glossy lips, chest rising and falling as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. That could be her cue to go on and kiss the girl right this moment, but she decided to let Evie make that move if she wanted to. Uma knew she really, _really_ wanted to.

But that didn’t mean that she couldn’t give her some encouragement.

She tilted her head back just the slightest bit and smiled, silently giving the girl an approving signal, while toying with the soft baby hairs at the nape of her neck. Evie let out a shaky gasp, like she was still weighing her options, but then eventually, leaned her head and timidly, delicately, pressed her mouth against hers.

And Uma still felt them, all those things that people always talked about. The butterflies, the sparks, or whatever the hell was making her stomach flutter. In the darkness underneath her closed eyelids, she could see light exploding, the euphoric warmth blossoming within her once more. Yet, she didn’t try to deepen the kiss, despite how bad she wanted to feel more of Evie’s lips on hers. They were in the middle of the Great Hall, for crying out loud, not exactly the most adequate place for a make out session. The people knew enough already. Besides, she didn’t want the Ravenclaw girl to freak out again.

So she just tightened her arms around the brunette’s neck and enjoyed the chaste, soft-as-a-feather contact. Or so she did until she found herself smiling like a cheesy, love-struck idiot against the girl’s lips.

Because she was so fucking soft for her and just couldn’t fucking help herself. Hell, she was pretty sure it wasn't the first time she did that tonight.

So even though that made no sense at all, she buried her face in the crook of Evie’s neck to hide it. Evie who _aww_’ed her softly and held her tighter. Uma almost purred.

Now she was craving cuddles.

_What the FUCK, you fucking baby! You don’t even like hugs!_

But it actually felt great though, and she could tell from the frantic pulse underneath Evie’s skin that she wasn’t the only one loving this. So what should be said was: she didn’t like hugs that didn’t involve Evie. (Or Harry).

‘_No, no, no, this magic can’t die_’

Only then the Slytherin girl realized that they had stopped dancing and only Merlin knew how long they had just been standing there in each other’s arms. But who cared, they were having a moment. In her opinion, they fitted perfectly, snuggled up together like this. Also meaning that perhaps they had partied enough for the night.

As the song came to an end, Uma left her ‘hiding spot’ and murmured in Evie’s ear, “How ‘bout we get out of here?”

To her utter delight, Evie gave her approval and they left the Great Hall hand in hand, both knowing exactly what was meant by ‘out of here’.

“It’s funny how we always seem to find our way back here every single time,” Evie said as the door of the Room of Requirement closed behind them.  
  
“Well, it’s _our_ spot, isn’t it?” Uma winked at the brunette before sitting on the armrest of the couch and kicking off her shoes. “Seven fucking Seas, my feet are _killing_ me! Remind me to never wear heels again.”

Evie laughed lightly, although she did the same with hers. “You can’t expect me to give you this kind of advice. I live for high heels.” She then gulped, looking down at the floor for a brief moment. “So, tonight… was something.”

The corners of Uma’s lips curved up. “Yeah. I had a really, really good time though.”

“Seriously?”  
  
“Of course.” The Slytherin girl stepped closer and took ahold of Evie’s hands. “It was the best first date I could’ve ever asked for.”

The brunette winced. “Even with…you know.”

“Yeah, even with that.”  
  
“I had an amazing time, too,” she said truthfully while fondling the back of Uma’s hands with the pads of her thumbs. “Can I, um, can I ask you something?”  
  
“You just did but go on,” Uma jested, but Evie wasn’t so amused.  
  
“Do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive Mal?”

Okay. She was _not_ expecting that. Bit of a tricky question here. Truth be told, she had no damn idea how she would react if the Gryffindor blonde ever came to apologize to her. At this point she had pretty much given up on that eventuality. It felt like they had reached the point of no return a long time ago.

“I don’t know.”

Evie looked disappointed, which was understandable. Uma sighed. “Sorry Princess, I know it’s not the answer you wanted, but I won’t lie and say yes just to make you happy.”

The Ravenclaw girl nodded nonetheless. “It’s alright. I appreciate your honesty. At least it’s not a hard no.” She marked a short pause before adding, “It would mean the world to me if you two could find a way to get along though.”

Uma almost immediately got slightly defensive. “Woah, easy here. You will _not_ be playing the emotional blackmail card on me.”

“Holy magic mirrors. That’s not what I’m trying to do I swear!” Evie exclaimed apologetically.  
  
“Yeah, I hope so. Because it really ain’t cute.”

And hell. She couldn’t believe what was about to come out of her mouth. “Are you and her going to be okay though?”

Yeah. She asked because she knew it mattered to Evie. Mal was to the brunette what Harry was to her, sort of. Having already experienced being away from him – even though it was her own doing – she could only imagine what the girl was facing. And she didn’t want that for her.

“She needs time so I’ll give her that. But ultimately, yeah I think we will.” Evie sighed sadly.  
  
“Okay. And um,” she hesitated for a second before the next part, brushing the heart shaped ruby pendant at Evie’s neck with her fingertips. “Are _we_ going to be okay?”

They were still committing into something that was very new for the both of them and although that was promising, Uma couldn’t help the faint but lingering feeling of fear in the back of her head. There were many challenges ahead of them, with Mal, Evie’s mother and counting, she wanted to make sure that they were ready to face them. That they were _truly_ in this together.

Evie had yet to give her a reason to doubt that, especially not now as she plunged her tender gaze into her own chocolate eyes, that million Galleon smile of hers tugging at her lips – on which, by the way, the dark cherry lipstick was impressively undamaged – and twirled a turquoise braid around her finger.

“We already are, Captain. The only way we can be now is better.”

And the kiss that sealed the deal wasn’t at all bashful. Not now that they were behind closed doors. It was a long and shamelessly hearty embrace, still loving, but feverish. One that tasted like dry tears and a fiery passion, that dripped from their locked lips to the way Evie pulled her body right against hers, one hand beneath her ear and the other curled around her waist. To the way her own arms encircled the Ravenclaw girl’s torso, never wanting to let go.

That kiss stole the words she had been wanting to say but couldn’t – yet – however they still resonated in the safety of her own mind.

_I love you, Princess._

One day, she’ll be able to tell her just how much. But for now, she didn’t mind waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it, folks. You have reached the end of _A Thousand Years_.
> 
> I have to say, I'm so fucking happy about the feedback I got from you all throughout this process. As this was the first story that I ever published, I'm so grateful for all of you who took the time to read it and stick with me until the last chapter and I'm thrilled that you loved it. I sure as hell didn't expect the numbers it did. I honestly can't thank y'all enough. And I'm also extremely proud of myself for even finishing it. If only you guys knew how many unfinished fics I have on my computer...
> 
> The probability of this getting a sequel is close to zero though. Unless I get like struck by inspiration and get a brilliant plot idea overnight (which could happen, you never know). But I'm currently working on a new project as well as my other Umvie fic that's already out, so you'll hear from me again very soon! ;)
> 
> And now the time has come for you to give me one final review! :) I wanna see your thoughts on this story as a whole.
> 
> Thank you so so soooooo much again.  
Xoxo love y'all!!


End file.
